


Snapshots of a life worth living

by Days_With_Destiny



Category: Glee
Genre: Bisexual Sam Evans, Blaine Anderson & Santana Lopez Friendship, Endgame Blaine Anderson/Sam Evans, M/M, Past Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Protective Santana Lopez
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 56,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28355223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Days_With_Destiny/pseuds/Days_With_Destiny
Summary: "Blaine Anderson, you put that ring away right this instant. So help me Mother Monster, I will slap you sillier than you already are. This is not a drill." Suffice to say that Kurt did not take kindly to Blaine's plans to propose to him after their failed relationship.But his ex generously points him in the direction of one Trouty-Mouthed individual who ends up being the love of Blaine's life. And I'm here to tell their story through a collection of one-shots. The end result will be a collection of moments from a well-lived life.
Relationships: Artie Abrams/Kitty Wilde, Blaine Anderson/Sam Evans, Jake Puckerman/Marley Rose, Mike Chang/Tina Cohen-Chang, Quinn Fabray/Noah Puckerman, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 44
Kudos: 41





	1. A failed engagement and new beginnings

"Blaine Anderson, you put that ring away right this instant. So help me Mother Monster, I will slap you sillier than you already are. This is not a drill," Kurt screeched in horror as he gaped at his ex-boyfriend who was currently kneeling on the ground with a velvet ring box in hand. 

The pair were alone in McKinley High’s theater. Blaine pulled him aside earlier asking for advice on a song he was prepping for an upcoming Glee rehearsal. Kurt probably should have known something was up based on how impeccably the boy was dressed in a crisp, dove grey suit. That and his hair was practically shellacked to his head in a way that definitely spoke to nerves. 

After a year and a half together, Kurt knew the amount of gel in Blaine’s hair directly related to his mood. The boy felt more carefree when his dark curls were barely contained with a lighter product that added dimension but less control. When his hair was locked and loaded with the equivalent of dry cement like today, Kurt knew to duck and cover. This is a prime example of why…

But the equally well-dressed boy foolishly missed out on the signs. Now here he was, being proposed to by his high school love who he admittedly would adore for the rest of his life. But their romantic relationship was long over. Kurt knew that. Now it was time to break it to Blaine.

His ex was breathing heavily after finishing what was admittedly a very romantic serenade on the stage where they had performed together countless times over the course of their relationship. And Blaine unsurprisingly looked more than a little shocked by the turn of events.

The serenade was arrestingly lovely after all. Blaine pulled out all the stops. Ever a showman, he incorporated the piano and a tightly choreographed dance routine in an effort to make the best impression. 

Say what you will, but he knew how to plan a show. And although Blaine recognized he and Kurt were technically broken up (technically), as far as he was concerned their fates were written in the stars. He knew with the fervor only an eighteen-year-old could muster that they were destined to be together forever. He’d never bet against destiny before, and he wouldn’t start today. 

That's what he told himself at least when his friends advised him against buying a ring and popping the big question. 

Tina literally plugged her ears and hummed loudly any time her Blainey Days brought up the plan. Artie threatened to run Blaine over in the hallway if he even so much as mentioned Kurt’s name. Brittany warned that Lord Tubbington did not approve of the potential union. The innocent dancer herself didn’t mind two of her favorite unicorns shacking up. However, she refused to cross her beloved cat. Especially since he just started speaking to her again after she forced him into his latest round of rebab for his online gambling addiction.

Unique would not speak to him because she sided with Kurt after the breakup, so he didn’t even bother asking the big-voiced diva how she felt. Blaine was still reeling from Kitty’s acidic tongue-lashing. Why did he ask the Cheerio again? Obviously that wasn’t the best idea. But even Ryder, Jake and Marley took a break from their weird romantic triangle to advice against a proposal. 

Then there was Sam. 

If possible his best friend seemed even more reluctant about the prospect of Blaine becoming a married man. Honestly, that hurt the most because the pair supported each other through everything. That and Sam had practically proposed to Quinn when he first joined the group. So wasn’t it a bit of a situation where the pot was calling the kettle black? But Blaine was determined to do this with or without their support. 

Thankfully it didn’t come to that.

Out of all the New Directioners, Sam was apparently the only other hopeless romantic in the bunch. So his ever-faithful Vice President eventually came around and helped pick out the ring (a simple platinum bang with two glittering diamonds) and was responsible for keeping everyone else out of the theater for the next hour. “If you’re absolutely certain about doing this, I’ll tell them a pipe burst or something,” Sam said with a reluctant wink earlier in the day.

As Blaine looked up at Kurt, he began to realize that maybe his friends were on to something. Maybe he shouldn’t have shouted out “Marry me, Kurt” after singing a medley of the world’s most beloved love songs at boy that he wasn’t technically dating (technically) and hadn’t seen in person for months. 

“Seriously Blaine, we cannot do this. We aren’t even dating right now. We’ve been apart for more than six months at this point,” Kurt sighed. “Did you really think this was the best plan?”

“Don’t you think we’re meant to be together,” Blaine stammered out as tears started to develop in the corners of his hazel eyes. That’s when Kurt’s heart softened. He wasn’t going to say yes (obviously, dear Godney), but he could let his former lover down easily. 

“Honey, you’ll always have a special place in my heart. You were practically my first in every way, shape and form. You gave me the courage to be true to myself even when oafs tried to bash the gay out of me. You have one of the sweetest and kindest hearts of all time,” Kurt said as he wiped Blaine’s tears away. 

“We did so many incredible things together. But we weren’t good for each other at the end. You felt like I abandoned you when I moved to New York. Which I admit to doing. But then you went and cheated on me, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to trust you again. Plus, remember that guy Adam I told you about last time we talked? Well, it’s getting pretty serious between us. Last time I checked you can only marry one person at a time. I don’t think he’d like me as much anymore if I told him that you and I were getting hitched.”

Blaine’s heart sank as he hastily stashed the ring back in his blazer. Kurt pulled him into a hug once he stood back up. 

“So we’re really over, huh,” he sighed. “We won’t be growing old together and one day adopting a fantastic son who we’ll raise on a diet of Tony-winning Broadway musicals and Vogue issues.” 

The pair shared a watery laugh as they thought about their old plans.

“That ship has sailed, Blaine. We’ll always be friends. Let’s be real, whether we like it or not, New Directions is forever. But I think you need to let go of what we had together. It isn’t what you need. I’ll never be able to love you the way you deserve. Frankly, you won’t be able to love me that way, either.”

“But,” Kurt added as he pulled Blaine out into the hallway. “I think I may know someone who can love you even better than I did. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about today.” 

“What are you talking about,” Blaine asked as they cut through a crowd of students and walked toward the choir room. 

“I happen to believe a certain… as Santana would say… Trouty-Mouthed individual has feelings for you that extend beyond the realm of even the most homoerotic male friendships,” Kurt explained. “And a little birdy named Unique tells me that you most certainly feel the same way.”

Blaine’s eyes widened in confusion at Kurt’s words. Sure, he loved Sam. Anyone with a pulse knew the boy was stunningly handsome. More importantly, he was unfailingly nice and supportive. But even a passing glance at his dating history (including a very recent breakup with Brittany) spoke to him being straight. 

Had Blaine missed some sort of sign or was Kurt trying to throw him a bone to soften the blow of breaking up with him (again)?

Before he could ask, Kurt opened the choir-room door, shoved Blaine inside and pulled it shut behind him. “You can thank me later,” he shouted through the door. As his ex stood guard outside and directed curious eyes away from the room, Blaine stumbled into Sam’s arms.

“How’d it go, Dudesicle,” Sam hesitantly asked as he steadied Blaine. Taking a step back, he looked down at his friend’s face and read a sea of confusion there. “Not well?”

“Well, for starters you were right,” Blaine admitted. “Kurt most certainly does not want to marry me.” He gasped in surprise as Sam pulled him into a hug with an obvious exhale. Was that a sigh of relief, he wondered.

Blaine felt his tense muscles release as he relaxed into the embrace. 

“He said that we weren’t good for each other anymore. I guess he’s moved on with that English guy Adam, and that we won’t ever be able to love each other the way we used to,” he said with tears in his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry. You’ll find someone who loves you the right way,” Sam assured him. This time Blaine definitely noticed a hitch in his friend’s voice. Was Kurt right?

“He said something else that really confused me,” Blaine said as he disengaged from Sam’s arms enough to look up at his friend’s kind, emerald eyes. “Sammy, do you like-like me?”

“Oh. I wonder how he found out about that,” Sam hesitantly said. “Yeah, dude. I guess maybe it’s time to be honest with you about some things. Can we sit down for a minute?”

Sam sighed as he pulled his now-unresponsive friend over to a pair of chairs. 

“Blaine. Buddy, I need you to keep breathing,” he stammered as his friend stared off into space. “I can’t tell you the truth if you pass out. In fact, I don’t know if I can tell you the truth unless you hold my hand. This is just as weird for me. I’m feeling woozier than I did when Nurse Penny tried to give me that shot. You know needles freak me out, and this is even weirder…”

“You’re going to be alright, Sam. Put your head between your knees if you need a moment,” Blaine urged as he rushed to grab his friend’s hand. “Just tell me what you feel, and we’ll work it out together.” 

Sam took a steadying breath and looked over at Blaine. The boy’s hazel eyes overflowed with compassion like they always did when Sam needed guidance. 

“Don’t be mad. I don’t know how Kurt knows because I haven’t told anyone, I swear. But I do have feelings for you. I don’t know exactly how it happened or when. But I have been feeling this way for a while now: You’re my best bro like Finn and Mike were before they graduated. But I never wanted to kiss either of them.”

Blaine slowly blinked and sat back in surprise.

“Woah. I guess I’m confused. You knew I had feelings for you. We talked about it after Guilty Pleasures week. So why didn’t you tell me then? And if you loved me, why did you let me go through with asking Kurt to marry him,” Blaine wondered. 

Sam took a steadying breath as he prepared to break it all down. After steadying himself a bit, he explained to Blaine how it all went down. Shortly after Blaine sang Phil Collins to him during Guilty Pleasures week, Sam started to realize that he wanted to love Blaine like he had loved Brittany or Quinn more than like he’d cared about Ryder and Artie.

“And just as I was coming to grips with it, you started talking about getting back with Kurt. I didn’t want to get between you two. What mattered to me was that you were happy, so I decided to step back and let you pursue your happily ever after with someone who was out and would be able to love you the right way. If you did that, then I wouldn’t ever have to fess up to my feelings. I could marry someone else eventually. You’d be happy, and I’d learn to be happy,” Sam explained. 

“I like you a lot, Blaine. Frankly I think I may be well on the way to loving you. But I’ve never done this with a guy before. I can’t be like you and Kurt just yet. Even if you chose me, I’d need time to get settled into this before telling the world. I didn’t want to make you keep me a secret, so I figured you’d be better off if I just stayed your best friend.”

Blaine pulled Sam into a hug as soon as he finished speaking. As he pulled him close, he lost himself in the familiar scent of Sam’s cologne. The boy smelled like a forest. Blaine realized that he’d started to associate the smell with comfort and home. The smell made him feel even more at ease than Kurt’s used to make him feel.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that on your own,” Blaine soothed Sam. “But don’t you think I would have liked to help you work through those feelings? Or to help make that choice for us? I liked you a lot Sam, and frankly I started thinking about Kurt again because I didn’t think we would ever have a chance of actually working. Had I known how you felt, I’d have wanted to see if we could work. Now that I know how you feel, if you still do like-like me that is, I still want nothing more than to give us a shot.”

Reaching out, he brushed the blonde boy’s hair back out of his face. “Do you still want to be with me?”

Sam looked down at the boy and a grin split his face as he nodded.

“Do you really want to give this a shot,” Sam asked nervously. “I can’t promise I’ll be good at this. I haven’t even kissed a guy before. What if I’m bad at it? Santana always called me Trouty Mouth and implied my lips would be good for gay things, but what if she’s wrong? She’s clearly not exactly sticking with the dudes anymore. What if…” What may have been a long-winded panic attack was cut off abruptly as Blaine leaned over and gently brushed his lips across Sam’s. “Woah. Ok, we definitely need to do that again.”

Blaine giggled sweetly and pulled Sam to him again. After a second kiss he pulled back and got a little more serious.

“We can definitely do that again. There’s just one thing, Sammy. I want to take this slowly. After all, I did just ask another guy to marry me. Clearly I need to work out my feelings for Kurt before falling into something super serious again. It wouldn’t be fair to you otherwise. And you’ve never been with a guy before. I don’t want to push in too fast, freak you out and ruin what we already have. I value our friendship too much to risk it. If we go slowly we should be able to protect that. I want to be with you, but I don’t want to ever lose you.”

“I think we can do that,” Sam nodded seriously as he contemplated the situation. “I’m not ready for everyone to know just yet. But I want to spend even more time with you. And if I get to kiss you now when we are together, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal.”

“So let’s shake on it, Blonde Chameleon,” Blaine offered. “We’re together but don’t tell anyone. Well except for Kurt because I think he already knows something is going on in here. Let’s take this slow and see how it goes.” 

“It’s a done deal, Night Bird. I’m down if you’re down.”

The best friends executed their secret handshake. Just as they agreed to take the next step in their relationship, the bell rang signaling the start of a new period. 

“Shit! I guess we should get to our next classes,” Blaine realized. “I can’t believe we missed a full class working this out.”

With that they rushed out of the door and past a curious-looking Kurt. 

“Bye Kurt,” Blaine shouted out as he and Sam raced through the hall heading to their next classes. “Thanks so much for taking the time to let me down gently. We’ll catch up soon, I promise!” 

The older boy shook his head in confusion as they walked off. He’d known Blaine had feelings for Sam even before Unique confirmed it. However, he’d only been operating off a hunch about Sam’s feelings for Blaine. Was he right or did his assumption mess things up for the guys?

That’s when he realized… 

As the two walked off, Kurt noticed Blaine and Sam had their pinkies linked exactly like Brittany and Santana used to before they came out. It was a subtle form of contact that could easily be brushed off accidental if anyone called them out on it. But it was the sort of gesture that spoke to the cynical boy’s romantic soul. 

“Huh, I should get myself a bow and arrow and play Cupid more often,” he thought. “I really hope can they make this work.”


	2. Coming out.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! This time Blaine and Sam's secret comes out in the most New Directions way possible.

“Trouty! Frodo! Where are you hiding? New Directions take the stage in 30 minutes, and Mr. Schue needs you to lead final warmups,” Santana was trying to be keep quiet as she searched backstage for her old teammates ahead of their Regionals performance. The graduate had been tottering around on a pair of sky-high heels for at least 10 minutes, and her patience was wearing thin as she opened various doors hoping the pair would magically appear behind one of them.

“Frodo you may possess perfect pitch, but we all know some of your teammates need to get it together if you want to make it to Nationals again this year. Think about Sugar. We can’t let that Lovable Richie Bitch take the stage without a very strenuous vocal warmup. So get your cute little butts in gear. Oh. Oh, my fucking God. What do we have here?!”

Santana franticly threw her hands over her eyes as she opened a door and found the boys in a rather compromising position. The pair were dressed in matching all-black outfits. So at least they’d made it into their costumes for the opening number. However, they were currently wrapped around each other and looked like they’d just forcibly disengaged from a rather passionate kiss.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Blaine whispered as he desperately tried to push Sam’s body further into the closet. It was as though he hoped his boyfriend would eventually find another door leading to Narnia and disappear through it. That may be the only way they could get out of this situation.

“Really, Baggins? Well tell me what I’m looking at, then. Because to me it looks like you and Good Ol’ Guppy Lips behind you were kissing. Or was he using those supersized envelope-lickers of his to take off your stage makeup? No judgement or anything. You’re both obviously hot if you’re into penis. Which we all know I’m not. Even still, I have to admit that this pairing is doing something to my lady loins. Oh my god. This pairing… Let me say it again: What the literal fuck?!”

Santana’s eyes widened as she tried to process the situation. On the list of things she’d expected to happen when she came back to her alma mater to help get the team ready to defend their title, she had not expected to witness the birth of a new relationship. But here she was… And her eyes most certainly did not deceive her.

“Alright. I guess it is exactly what it looks like. But please keep this quiet Santana. I’m trying to protect Sam. If anyone gets what it’s like to be forced out of the closet, it would definitely be you. And if you keep screeching like that other people are going to find us. Exactly like they are right now. Oh shit.”

Blaine’s normally olive complexion paled when Santana opened the door. He’d known they were taking a major risk when they ran off for a moment together before taking the stage. The couple enjoyed almost a full month of blissfully uninterrupted time together. Now it looked like their secret was about to leak in the most dramatic way possible.

He went even whiter as Brittany skipped up behind her girlfriend. 

“Have you found them yet? Oh, dear sweet Britney Spears.” Brittany gasped in horror as she took in the scene. “Santana, come away from there! Blaine and Sam aren’t supposed to know that we know they’re together. It’s a secret!”

Sam wrapped his arms around Blaine from behind. He could feel his boyfriend shaking in his arms and knew he needed a little support. But he cocked his head in surprise as Brittany revealed that she already knew about the “secret” relationship.

“Um, Brittany… Did you just say you knew about Blaine and I being together?”

The blond girl started to shake her head in denial. Of course, her attempt was ruined as Tina and Artie came upon the group.

“Whelp, I guess this relationship has officially been yanked out of the closet,” Tina sighed as her eyes locked on Blaine’s. “I figured they’d at least make it to spring break before this happened.”

Brittany tried to shush them, but Santana took her by the hand.

“Britt, just tell me what’s going on. I think you’re going to have to tell these two, too. They clearly have no clue.”

“Yes, please,” Blaine croaked. “I’d really like to know what you’re talking about.”

Brittany smiled softly at him. Before she could explain, Kitty, Marley and Sugar rounded the corner and joined the party.

“Oh look, Sexy Lips and Tiny Tot are putting on a pre-show performance backstage,” Kitty snarked. Sam prepared to step up and defend his man, but Brittany beat him to the punch.

“Kitty Wilde, remember what I told you. We need to use our blonde powers for good not evil. Now will you let me tell the story in peace or am I going to have to ask Marley and Mercedes to pull you back to the choir room?” 

The younger Cheerio mimed zipping her lips and encouraged Brittany to continue the story.

“Well, we obviously already knew you were a unicorn, Blaine Warbler. Then you showed us how much you loved Sam when you sang to him during Guilty Pleasures week. After we knew that, it didn’t take long to figure out Sam felt the same way about you. I mean, you two were practically dating, you already spent so much time together. That’s why I broke up with Sam so nicely. I knew you two were meant to be together. Then Lord Tubbington confirmed it for me. Did you know he’s part psychic?

“Brittany you broke up with me via text message,” Sam weakly said. His mind was so scrambled by the situation that it fastened on to the easiest portion of her explanation. 

“Yeah, I did. It was that or Santana wanted to break it to you for me,” she said sweetly. “I didn’t think she would do it quite as gently, so I beat her to the punch. As I was saying, we knew you two had feelings for each other. Then we noticed that you got even closer after Blaine asked Kurt to marry him, and he said no. This must be why Lord Tubbington didn’t approve of that union, by the way. He knew something better was in the works. I’m going to have to find him some sort of sleepaway psychic camp for cats. That way he can develop these powers and keep using them for good! It’s so much better than working as an agent for an underground drug ring like he’s doing right now.”

As Brittany finished her story the rest of the group wandered over and rapidly realized what was happening. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? A horde of runaway singers. Don’t you have a stage to besmirch with another god-awful cover song? Or are you doing original numbers again? If so I’m going to need a stiff drink to get through your set.” 

Just when the situation couldn’t get worse, Sue Sylvester arrived. And she was quick to realize what was happening. 

“Look what you did, Sandbags. We’ve all been waiting to see when Young Burt Reynolds Kentucky Fried Stripper were going to out themselves. I had my money on them making it to prom before breaking the big gay news on the dance floor. It looks like you pushed them out at least a month ahead of schedule.” 

Apparently Coach Sue was also in on the secret. That’s just great.

“Sue! I told you teachers weren’t allowed to join in on the betting pool,” Mr. Schue warned as he turned the corner with Mrs. Pillsberry in hand.

That’s when Blaine finally realized just how badly they’d done at keeping the secret.

“Can we get a show of hands here, guys,” he asked. “Who all already knew something was going on between Sam and I?” His mouth dropped open as everyone including Mr. Schue, Mrs. Pillsberry and a befuddled looking Coach Roz who walked around the corner seconds ago raised their hands. The only person who looked confused was Finn.

“What’s going on? Why are Blaine and Sam hugging in the closet,” he asked worriedly. 

“Pay attention, Frankenteen,” Santana snapped. “Obviously they’re in love.” The feisty Latina couldn’t resist the urge to tease her former classmate.

“Did you actually think you were hiding it from us,” Kitty scoffed. “I mean, you literally undress each other mentally every time you look at each other. It’s very obvious and, frankly, more than a little pornographic.”

“That’s enough, team.” Thank the lord above for Mr. Schuester. “As fun as this moment has been, we desperately need to get on stage. Sam and Blaine, I’m going to need you two to pull it together. I know you’re surprised, but the team needs you to be at your best right now. So I’m going to ask you to leave this behind and pick it up once we win the competition.” 

With a whoop, the New Directions raced to the stage. Santana stayed behind and watched as Blaine and Sam fell to the back of the group and grabbed hands.

“Sam, you have to know that I am so sorry. I never wanted you to get outed like this,” Blaine said with teary eyes. “I totally understand if you want to break up with me, but can we do that after we finish the show?” 

Before Sam could reply, Santana came from behind. “Guys, Mr. Schue is right. I’m also really sorry for the big gay surprise. But you need to have this conversation after the show. Now get out there and show those other schools what it means to be a member of New Directions. Sam you go now. Give me a second with Blaine.”

As a concerned-looking Sam ran ahead, Santana took the smaller boy by the shoulders. 

“I’m sorry this happened. And you are right about one thing. I absolutely understand how much it sucks to be outed by someone else. But you weren’t responsible for this happening. And if Auntie Snixx knows anything right now, it’s that Sam clearly loves you. So I need you to not worry about a breakup. Let me handle the fall-out from this. You focus your curly little head on pulling off a win, alright?” With that she patted him on the head, dried off any tears, physically turned him around and sent him on his way.

“Clearly I’ve got to take care of everything every time I come back to this school,” she said to herself.

Santana watched from backstage with more than a little nostalgia as the latest iteration of New Directions performed. She was certain no one could tell that a tragedy had occurred literal moments before the set. Unless these judges were blind, her team was about to cinch another win.

Blaine disappeared into the crowd as soon as the group came off the stage. Sam looked around for him in confusion. However, before he could mount a search, he felt someone else grab him from behind.

“Alright, performance is done. Now you’re coming with me, Lover Boy,” Santana said as she carved a path through the happy students. “Move it or lose it, people. I’ve got precious cargo in my arms right now. ” 

With that she pushed him into the choir room and glared at anyone else until they ran out with looks of terror on their faces. 

“Snixx has still got it,” she said before turning her attention to Sam. “Now we need to talk. First of all, you need to know how sorry I am that that happened to you. I didn’t expect to walk in on my and my current girlfriend’s ex going to town on a boy today. But even if I did, I’d never want you to get outed because of me. And it is my fault this happened, not yours or Blaine’s. You know that, right?” 

Sam laughed, but it didn’t take a genius to see that he was hurting. “I know it wasn’t Blaine’s fault. That’s why I can’t understand that he thinks I want to break up with him. Blaine makes me so happy every day. He takes care of me and is one of the best people I know. I really love him, Tana. Why does he think I want to leave him?”

That’s when Santana knew that things were going to work out. 

“OK, Trouty. I’m glad to see that you’re handling this better than I did when it happened to me. But I’m going to take a second to get real with you. Blaine knows what it’s like to be out and proud at a school like this. You’ve always been an incredible ally. Hell, you took a fist to the face standing up for his porcelain-faced boy toy last year. You were great about being in my corner after I started dating Britt, even though I used you as a beard. But things are different when you’re the one who is taking the brunt of the hatred. I bet your pint-sized lover boy is afraid for you.” 

“If I have to guess, he’s willing to give up on your relationship if it’ll protect you from the mouth-breathing, simple-minded bullies that prowl these halls. Can you look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you are ready to face that yourself?”

“Yes. One hundred percent, absolutely, yes. A lot of people think I’m a simple-minded guy. I may not have gotten a good score on my SAT. I may have fallen for a girl who cheated on me with her ex, and another who used me as a beard and another who dumped me to get back together with another of my exes. But I know how I feel about Blaine. And I’d take a thousand slushies to the face every day if it meant I got to stay with him. How do I make him understand that?”

“I wish I knew, Trouty. You clearly know that boy better than I do. Possibly even in a biblical sense. I’m going to need to get you drunk next time we’re together so you can tell me all about that, by the way. I never could get Porcelain to spill the beans about Blaine, but I know I can get you to… In the meantime, you’re going to have to decide how to break the news to him. And you’re going to have to figure it out sooner than later because it’s time to go back on stage to pick up your trophy.”

Sam was thinking about what Santana said as the group gathered to wait for results to come through. He needed to figure out a way to prove his feelings. The blonde teen took some time to plan as the announcer spoke in front of him. 

“Coming in first place and securing a ticket to Nationals for the third year in a row, we have William McKinley High School’s New Directions! That means Walsh Jesuit High School’s Harmony Gold takes second place. Better luck next year, guys.”

Confetti rained down from the ceiling as Mr. Schue was handed another trophy for the team’s case. That’s when Sam’s eyes locked on Blaine’s and he knew. Walking over, he stood in front of the dark-haired boy as their friends started to celebrate the win.

“You need to know I’m not ashamed of us, Blaine. I love you more than anyone I’ve ever been with before, and my feelings get stronger every day. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I have these feelings for a guy. I want to be able to tell the whole school how I feel. That’s why I’m doing this.”

With that Sam grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and yanked him in for a kiss as celebratory confetti rained down around them. As their friends noticed what was going on, they all turned and wrapped their arms around the couple in a sign of solidarity. 

Things may be hard moving forward, but Sam knew they’d be worth it.

Pulling back from the kiss, Blaine smiled up at his boyfriend. 

“Love you, Sammy,” he said before pulling him back for another kiss.

Watching from the audience, Santana desperately blinked her eyes as Brittany ran up to her and swept her into a hug. 

“Aren’t they the cutest,” Brittany giggled after going in for a quick kiss. “I’m so happy they finally found each other and told us the good news.”

“Damnit, those two may be the second-best couple to come from New Directions,” Santana mused. “We’re going to have to protect them at all costs. In the meantime, let’s capture this kiss on camera. That way Blaine and Sam can share the magic with everyone else who wasn’t lucky enough to make it to the show. And you see that, Frankenteen? That is how you pull off a relationship-saving kiss at a competition without netting the team a loss! I always knew you needed to be more like Sam Evans.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think so far? I'm pretty happy with how the story is coming together but really want to hear from you. Also, I have some ideas for a couple other snapshots. However, I'm definitely open to adding some others if you have any ideas. Just leave a comment and let me know.


	3. Bullies and boyfriends.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in three days! I don't think I'll be able to keep up with this pace for forever. But I wanted to try and get something up before work started again tomorrow. 
> 
> This time around I wanted to focus on a couple more guys on the show and let them show their support for Blaine and Sam. Also, it seemed like the perfect time to insert Coach Beiste into the story since I've already featured a couple other of the adults. Per usual, let me know what you think!

“Yo, Sam. Wait up, man.” 

Sam was heading to his locker between classes when he heard a familiar voice call out his name. Turning around, he grinned at a couple guys from the football team. 

“Oh. Hey Paul, Kyle, Tony. How’s it going,” he nodded in greeting. “What’s up?” It’s not that he wasn’t friends with the team. However, he lost contact with most of them after their season finished with another big win at States. Instead of hanging out and reliving the glory days, he turned his attention toward Glee and preparing for Nationals. 

Yeah, they saw each other in the gym sometimes, but it was nice to have a chance to catch up. 

“Are y’all ready for spring break,” the blonde asked.

“No time for small talk, dude,” Kyle briskly snorted. He was standing in the middle of the trio and winked at a couple other players as they walked by on the way to class. “So, we heard you were dating that fairy kid now. The one who dated Super Faggot Kurt Hummel last year. What’s his name again, boys? Oh yeah: Blaine Anderson.”

Sam felt his blood run cold listening to his former teammates talk about Blaine and Kurt like that. He, Finn, Puck and the rest of the football players from Glee worked so hard to stamp out all the hate speech and bullying that riddled the school when they were younger. To see it still being a problem left him sick to his stomach.

“Watch it…” Before he could get his thoughts together, Tony cut in.

“It’s funny. We never figured for you batting for their team. You always seemed pretty cool on the field. You threw a mean spiral and never let the other team’s defense smear you like a queer in the backfield like Finn did when he was quarterback. I always thought you were a stud. Believe it or not, I even looked up to you,” he guffawed. “Just goes to show that you can’t always get a good read on a person.” 

“And to think that we were sharing a locker room with you. Did you get a good peak at our junk in the showers,” Paul sneered. “I bet you were taking notes to share with Blaine. That’s probably why you’re together now. Well, we got to talking with a bunch of other guys from the team and wanted to let you know exactly how we feel about you being the next big gay guy on campus at McKinley. So, this is for you from all of us.”

With that the trio pulled slushies from behind their backs and threw them in Sam’s face. The freezing drinks left him temporarily blinded, which meant he was unable to defend himself from the quick flurry of punches that followed. 

“See ya later, faggot,” the guys laughed as they walked off giving each other high fives. 

Sam gasped for breath as he tried to pull himself together. He went to wipe the drink out of his eyes and felt the frozen liquid mixing with warm blood spilling from his already aching nose. He knew he should follow the guys and reclaim some sense of honor, but his body simply would not move.

That was a lie.

He wasn’t able to run, but his knees were slowly giving out underneath him. Sam sank to the ground and huddled up in a heap as a stream of students walked by. A couple looked on in pity, but none were willing to stop and check if he was alright. Instead, they just turned their attention away from his red-drenched shirt and focused on their next classes.

“I’m going to get up now,” Sam said to himself. “This isn’t my first slushie facial. No need to be a big baby about it.” However, he had to admit Santana was right. It really did feel different to be the direct target of hatred. In the past, he’d taken flak for being part of the choir. But his status as the quarterback protected him from the worst of it.

Today was the first day after he kissed Blaine at Regionals, and he was already sensing a difference. Students had been giving him strange looks all day. This was clearly the icing on top of a very bad day. 

“Shit! What happened Sam.” 

Right as he was getting his feet back underneath him, Sam jumped in surprise and fell back against the lockers a second time. Looking up he saw Jake and Ryder with looks of concern on their faces. Jake reached out a hand and helped him stand up. 

“Was it the hockey players, man? Those guys are vicious. We can’t let them treat you like this. Let’s get some of the guys together and make things right.”

Sam shook his head before fessing up. “Nah, Jake. It was Paul, Kyle and Tony. They said that they were representing the rest of the football team and letting me know how they felt about me being with Blaine. I guess my coming out as gay or bi or however I decide to identify makes them worried I was checking them out in the showers or something. I thought we were a team, but clearly not.” 

Ryder’s mouth dropped open in shock. 

“That is not Ok. You may be done with the football team, Sam. But you have to know that most of the guys adore you. You’re the hero who cinched us the title two years in a row. I guarantee you most of them won’t care if you get with a guy. If anything, they should be grateful since it sweetens the dating pool for them… Idiots. That being said, I think it is time some of us have a little chat with those three. They’ve got to know that no one fucks around with our friends and gets away with it.” 

Sam desperately shook his head. “It’s not worth it guys. I just want to try and get myself put back together before Blaine finds out.” 

As soon as he said it, Sam looked up and saw his concerned boyfriend gaping in horror. Before he could stop him, Blaine ran over and pulled him into a hug. Sam could feel his drenched clothes sticking to his boyfriend’s formerly pristine outfit. It was like a crime scene, and Blaine was taking the ricochet shot of hatred.

“I knew this was going to happen. Sammy I am so sorry.”

“S’Ok,” Sam tried his best to sound convincing. But even he could hear how shook up he was. He took a deep breath stepping back and tilting Blaine’s head back to look at him. 

“This changes absolutely nothing, Blaine. I still love you. I still want to be with you. We are not breaking up just because those assholes don’t like us being together. I need you to promise me that we’re going to work through this together. I don’t want you shifting their focus toward you to distract them. You need to know that if they beat you up, it’ll be even worse for me. We’re a team now, got it? Teams make plans together. No going solo here.”

“I love you forever, Sam Evans. I promise I won’t do anything stupid. But come on. Let’s take you to the locker room and get you cleaned up. Thanks for helping him out, Ryder, Jake. You guys can run to class if you want. I don’t want to make you late.”

Jake shook his head defiantly. 

“All things considered, I don’t think you two should be alone in the locker room, Blaine. We’ll tag along and keep an eye on things. In fact, I was supposed to meet up with a surprise someone, and I guarantee that he’d want to help out right now.” 

With that the quartet set off for the gym. Blaine wrapped his arms around Sam. He may be smaller, but there was no denying that the hours he spent working on choreography and taking out his anxieties on a punching bag made him strong. Sam felt secure in letting him carry some of his weight. 

He felt less secure when they entered the gym and ran into Coach Beiste and Puck. He could hear Coach’s gasp from across the cavernous space.

“What happened to you, Pumpkin? It looks like you went eight rounds in the bull pit, and the bull was playing dirty.” 

“A couple guys from the team jumped him in the hallway, Coach.” Ryder was quick to explain. “Apparently they didn’t like that he and Blaine were together and decided to deliver a ‘message from the rest of.’”

The younger boy’s sarcasm and thinly disguised disgust was evident as he emphasized the final words. 

Just like Blaine did a couple minutes earlier, Coach ran across the gym (as fast as she could on her bum knees) and pulled Sam into a hug. 

“Sweetness, you can’t let those boys make you think anything less of yourself. I want you to remember that you are one of the kindest, most courteous and best young men I’ve ever had the honor of coaching. You’re one hundred times the guy they’ll ever be. And I promise that we’ll be having a conversation. You get me the names,” she nodded at Ryder.

“I’ll make sure they know that they will be riding the bench for the rest of their lives if they so much as smirk in your direction again.” 

“That’s not enough, Coach.” Sam turned his attention to Puck, who was visibly shaking with anger. “I think it’s time for the Brothers Puck and Ry-Guy to settle this with the old-fashioned way.” He cracked his knuckles to drive his point home. “No one hurts my friends and lives to tell the tale. By the way, Sam… Nice job snagging Twinkle Toes over here. Same to you, Blaine. You better stand up for my boy. Got it?”

The mohawked-graduate nimbly dodged Coach Beiste’s hand as she reached out to knock some sense into him. “What?! I just want these two to know that I am firmly in their corner. I always knew Sam was meant to end up with balls in his mouth. It’s written all over those lips. Ow!” This time he wasn’t able to duck the smack and shouted out in surprise. 

“Thanks, Puck. I think,” Sam said. He’d learned to read between his friend’s words and knew that the general message was one of support even if the delivery left something to be desired. 

“Guys! I love that we’re having this conversation right now, but I think we should get Sam cleaned up. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take him to the locker room really quickly.” 

“Oh yeah. Lead the way, Lover Boy.” Puck pointed toward the room and followed behind as Blaine and Sam shouldered open the door. 

Blaine found his way to Sam’s locker and set his boyfriend down on the bench in front of it. With that he ran off and grabbed some damp paper towels and began wiping the mess off his face with calming strokes. Sam’s heart ached as he watched how efficiently he went through the steps of cleaning him up. It was clear that he knew his way around catching a faceful of slushie.

“Did this happen to you so frequently that you have a routine for cleanup,” he asked as Blaine instructed him to tilt his head back and hold a paper towel to his bleeding nose.

“Often enough in those first couple of months at McKinley. The slushies eased back once Kurt graduated, and it was just me. It was almost as though they figured I was less of a threat without a boyfriend. Maybe they decided one gay was harmless enough, but once we start dating all bets are off the table,” Blaine mused while looking off into space. He was surprised to see Sam crying when he turned his attention back toward the other boy.

“Does your nose hurt that bad? Do you think we should take him to the nurse, guys?”

“No! Please not the nurse.” Sam never quite recovered from the embarrassment of lusting after Nurse Penny. He didn’t think he’d be able to look her in the eyes if he stopped by with his boyfriend in tow. “It doesn’t hurt. Well, it does. But it doesn’t hurt that bad. I’m just so sorry that all of this happened, and I wasn’t there for you before. I don’t want you to ever be alone again, Blaine. I can’t let them hurt you. It’s not fair. OUCH!”

He punctuated the speech by punching the nearby locker and shouting out in pain. 

“Honey, stop.” Blaine commanded. He settled his hazel eyes on his boyfriend. “You were always there for me. I never for one instant thought you were anything but a hero. Kurt told me how you stood up for him before I got to school. I think I may have started falling in love with you way back then. If nothing else, I felt more secure for him knowing that he had people who would stand up for him at school. That’s just the kind of guy you are, Sam. But you can’t protect me from everything. Just like I couldn’t protect you this time even though it kills me to see you like this.”

“Are we always going to have to watch our backs? What happens if I take you on a date and hold your hand at the table? Are we going to get jumped in the parking lot? Or, god forbid, what if I kiss you in the movie theater? Will those people just let us live our lives or are they going to ruin everything? That’s just not fair.”

Blaine blinked back tears and pulled Sam’s hands in between his. Partly to steady himself, but also to make sure that his boyfriend didn’t hit any more lockers.

“This won’t be forever, Sam. Things are getting better. Every year more people are realizing that it’s alright to be different. Sure, it’s slower to notice the change in this little school in the middle of nowhere. But I promise you that even here I’ve seen it. Guys that looked at me in disgust last year think of me as an equal now. There are assholes out there, and there always will be. But it’s not all bad.”

“That settles it, then. I know you had your heart set on going to NYADA,” Sam said. “The program is obviously really great. But I bet it helps that it’s in a big city full of creative people like you. Once we graduate we’ll get out of here, Blaine. I applied to a couple art schools in New York, too. One of them has to accept me. And Madam Twiddlefingers or whatever her name is would be crazy to pass you up.”

Blaine laughed out loud before correcting Sam. “It’s Madam “Tibideaux. But I’d love to move to New York with you. It would be a dream come true.”

“I just want to go somewhere we can be together, and I can hold your hand out in public without worrying about getting beat down.”

Blaine weakly grinned at Sam as he processed what he’d just said.

“New York is definitely safer, Sammy. But nowhere is perfect. Kurt was just telling me about a spree of hate crimes happening in the city this month. I need you to understand that we’ll never be one hundred percent safe, no matter where we live. We’ll always need to be aware of the atmosphere. And maybe I’ll always look around before kissing you on the streets. But there’s a freedom that comes with being true to yourself and living a life with as little fear as possible. And I can promise you that being with you is worth it. Just like you said to me earlier.”

Blaine pulled Sam’s change of clothes out of the locker and handed them over as he was speaking. “Now take off those dirty clothes, and let’s finish cleaning you up. One fringe benefit of this situation is that I do get to see you without your shirt on during school hours. I didn’t foresee this happening today, and you know I always like a chance to feast my eyes on those muscles you’ve got going on under there, baby.” 

Just like that, Blaine broke the tension that he’d seen settling in on his boyfriend’s shoulders. No one knew better than Blaine the risks that came with being gay. He still woke up in a cold sweat sometimes after having nightmares about being attacked at the Sadie Hawkins dance freshman year. But he’d do anything not to see Sam worried. And he’d do anything to keep him safe. That’s just what he did when he loved someone. 

“There’s another thing, Sam.” Jake finally interrupted the boys’ conversation. He’d watched for long enough and had something to say. “You won’t ever be alone. First of all, you’ve got all of us from Glee. We’ve got your back man. You and Blaine will be safe. And I know it may not seem like it, but most of the football team will watch out for you, too.”

“Yeah.” Ryder nodded in agreement. “We’ll make sure that someone is always with you in the halls for a while. Any loser out there who is dumb enough to take you on will think twice before taking on all of us. Just imagine the hell Tina would release on them. Or Sugar. Frankly, the Glee girls are worth ten football teams…”

“And don’t you worry your pretty little faces about New York,” Puck added. “I can promise that a certain Auntie Snixx will beat down any asshole who so much as looks at you wrong. And she won’t be alone. It just so happens that I was going to take on the big city. I was stopping here to say goodbye to Little Puck before hopping on my bike and driving up to the Red Apple or whatever it’s called. So you can rest well knowing that Santana, Puckosaurus Rex, Kurt Rachel and every other New Direction alum up there has your back.”

“I don’t know about you, Sam. But I wouldn’t bet against us being safe with this sort of team on our side.” 

Sam smiled as he pulled a new shirt over his head. This time he could tell that the smile was more real than before. Reaching into his locker he pulled out one of his hoodies and tossed it to Blaine. 

“Thank you all. Puck, Jake, Ryder, you guys are like brothers to me. I love you guys. Blaine, I love you, too. Now you take your shirt off because it is just as dirty, put that on and give me a hug, Ok? I’d say we can skip class since it’s mostly over at this point. But I don’t think any of us should be late for Glee.”

As the guys walked out of the locker room and headed toward the choir room, Coach Beiste smiled. She was watching some of her favorite boys become men before her very eyes, and that felt damn good. 

“Stay strong, my little heroes,” she muttered to herself before heading toward her office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think so far? I'm pretty happy with how the story is coming together but really want to hear from you. Also, I have some ideas for a couple other snapshots. However, I'm definitely open to adding some others if you have any ideas. Just leave a comment and let me know.
> 
> As it stands, my next update will be about graduation and getting settled in New York... But that could change!


	4. Advice from the relationship fairy godmother (prom pt. 1).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's my next update! Someone wanted a prom-themed chapter, and I got to thinking about how to make it fit. I've been wanting to add music to the mix for a while now, and prom serenades seemed like the perfect opportunity.
> 
> That being said, I wanted to lay the groundwork for the big night and add a little more character development. So think of this chapter as an interlude that includes more Santana because I love her. Hopefully I'll have the actual prom chapter finished tomorrow.

“I know you think of yourself as our relationship fairy godmother, and I really need help here. So, I’m going to ask Auntie Snixx to wave her magic wand and pull some wisdom out of her hat. Consult her magic third eye. Whatever it is that you always seem to do…” 

Santana sat back in her chair at the Lima Bean and smirked while pretending to smoke a cigar. “Frodo, you come to me on the morning of your senior prom. What can I do for you in your time of need?”

Blaine grimaced as he sipped his coffee. Prom was literally hours away, and he had so much to do in so little time. 

“As I’m sure you already know, New Directions is providing entertainment at the dance again. Big surprise there since Principal Figgins doesn’t have to pay us. As the class president I know firsthand we do not have money in the budget for a DJ. Not only that, but it gives Mr. Schue a guaranteed lesson plan for the week. I swear that man usually picks the theme as he writes it on the board. It really is the perfect situation, I guess.” 

“You’re rambling. Get to the point or I’m going to cut this coffee date short, Small Fry. As you obviously already know, I’m back in town as Brittany’s date. And as naturally perfect as I am, I still need to get ready before picking up my lady love.”

Her heart instantly softened as Blaine flinched and nervously ran his hands through his unruly curls. Now that she thought about it, Santana noticed he looked less put together than usual in an oversized McKinley hoodie and wrinkled jeans. Brittany told her Blaine had eased back on the bowties, hair gel and almost insufferably preppy wardrobe since going public with Sam. 

Clearly their relationship gave him the confidence to step away from such a restrictive uniform. It was a refreshing change of pace from the way he dressed when he felt the need to be perfect for Kurt. But even though he’d ditched the extra-pressed look, he would never leave the house without at least using an iron. Hell, he probably still steamed his pristine boxer briefs. 

Maybe she’d been a little overzealous. “Ok, I forgot I’m dealing with a high-strung thoroughbred here. You are right; I’ve got your back. Tell me what you need, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Well, Sam and I are serenading each other tonight, and I am freaking out. Freaking. Out. This is our senior prom, and I want my song to be perfect, and I can’t pick one. I. Cannot. Pick. A. Song.”

The dark-haired boy punctuated each word by banging his head on the table. If Santana hadn’t quickly pulled his mug out of the way, he would have dived face-first into the drink. He looked up in confusion as she let out a bark of laughter.

“In what world is this funny?!”

“Relax, Frodo. I swear, you and Trouty are perfect for each other. Believe it or not, I had the same conversation with your large-lipped lover last night. I talked him off a ledge, obviously. Why? Because I’m just that good.” 

Even though his heart was racing, Blaine couldn’t help smiling. It felt good knowing he wasn’t the only one in a bind. “Really?”

“Oh yeah. That’s Sam, though. Boy is pretty, and he’s nowhere near as dumb as people paint him. He just moves at his own pace. It’s why we love him so much. But I never in a billion years thought you wouldn’t have a song ready. I swear you came out of the womb knowing exactly what to sing in every situation. It’s like your annoying superpower. Why is this such a big deal, Blaine? You guys have sung to each other before. Oh, you’re blushing. This has to be good.”

“I knew I should have just asked Tina or sang a Katy Perry song,” Blaine sighed as he refused to stare into Santana’s hypnotizing eyes. He was afraid she’d see too much reflected in his gaze. “You’re too damn intuitive. It’s why everyone comes to you for advice.”

“Yes, I’m perfect and brutally honest. Thank you, I know. But we’re still no closer to an answer here so I’ll ask again. Why is this so important?”

Blaine focused on a hole in his jeans as he spoke. “Sam and I have been together for months now. I know you found us kissing in the closet, so this may surprise you: We haven’t gone all the way yet. We wanted to save our first time for the right moment. And I guess we figured prom made sense? So, we booked a hotel room, and I want everything leading up to that moment to be absolutely perfect.”

“Wanky.” Blaine hesitantly looked up to see Santana lewdly wink at him. “Get that White Chocolate, Frodo. You deserve it. And I know you and Lady Hummel did the nasty so it’s not like this is your first time. You know where everything goes. If not I can draw a diagram.”

“Not helping. Not helping at all. Sam hasn’t been with a guy before. He said he wasn’t worried about it, but what if he’s lying? That’s why I need the perfect song that tells him I know he’s giving me something special and that I love him. I need some ideas. And so help me God, Santana; if you say ‘Trouty Mouth’ I’m going to ask someone else.”

“Your loss. ‘Trouty Mouth’ was my finest bit of song crafting. I still can’t believe we didn’t sing it at Nationals the year before you joined up. That’s probably why we lost, but no one ever listens to me until it’s too late. Now laugh like I just told you about my Yeast-I-Stat commercial because your boyfriend just walked in with Tina.”

Blaine momentarily stiffened before letting out a forced-sounding laugh as he felt Sam’s warm arms wrapping around him from behind. He couldn’t help sighing with contentment as his boyfriend leaned down and gently brushed his lips against Blaine’s. As a rule, they weren’t big on public displays of affection. They were in small-town Ohio, after all. Usually, a brief exchange didn’t ruffle any feathers…

“Fuckin’ queers.” A man scoffed as he walked by with a coffee in hand. “Y’all are disgusting.”

Santana practically growled in rage. Before she could fashion a suitable response, Sam turned to stare the man down. She generally thought of her ex as a harmless, oversized puppy. But he stood up for the people he loved. As he towered over the man in front of him, she realized the muscled teen probably could be pretty damn intimidating.

“Excuse me, Sir. I think you’ll find that the small kiss I just gave my boyfriend hardly compares to the actually disgusting display you and that lady were putting on as I walked in. It’s amazing you’re not covered in each other’s drool, but you didn’t hear me say anything about that. So I’m going to respectfully ask you not to say anything about me and the man I love. If you’ve got a problem with that I’ll let this girl here take over.”

Sam nodded toward Santana who grinned wickedly and waved her fingers at him. “If you thought seeing a little gay kiss was bad, you don’t want to know what she’ll do to you. Thanks for not talking anymore. Have a wonderful day.” With a confident smile, he turned back around as the man slunk out the side door.

“Sorry about that. I know it’s bad luck to see your date before prom, but I wasn’t expecting to run into you here. Then I couldn’t resist saying hello. Wait… is it bad luck to see a date before prom or a bride before the wedding? Now I’m confused. Either way, Tina and I have to run so I’ll let you get back to it. Hey Santana! Bye Santana. Bye, Baby. See you guys in a bit.” 

Sam and Tina got in line to pick up their drinks as Santana clapped her hands together with delight. 

“Trouty just gave me the perfect answer to your problem. I think you should resurrect The Justin Bieber Experience.” 

“I’m sorry, what? What does Bieber have to do with anything? And what is the Justin Bieber Experience? It sounds contagious.” 

“I forgot that you weren’t around when that happened. I swear, the ever-shifting lineup of New Directions is beyond my comprehension.” Santana said. “But allow me to fill you in. Sam created the Justin Bieber Experience during his first year at school. He figured channeling the Bieb's hair swoop and tween dream style was a way to get the ladies excited. Trust me when I say that it worked for Quinn at least. But I happen to know firsthand that he is also a fan of the Biebs. If you want to surprise your mans at the dance, you should dust off one of his songs.”

Santana and Blaine waved as Sam and Tina walked out of the Lima Bean with their drinks in hand.

“Oh, and Blaine? I wouldn’t worry about Sam being weirded out by the thought of having sex with you. Think about it. His response to that dumbass was not the response of someone who is ashamed or second guessing where he wants to hide his salami. I’d say you’re in the clear. And judging by your face I’m guessing you have a song idea. You’re welcome. Now to thank me for my time, why don’t you go buy Auntie Snixx a cronut for the road. Then we should both go home and get ready.” 

“You’re right, Santana. You’re always right. Thank you so much for listening. I owe you one, and I know a cronut doesn’t even begin to repay the favor.”

“Damn right you do. But remember I love you. That man loves you. Everyone loves you two together, and we just want you to be happy. And to pay me back you can give me all the dirty details about tonight tomorrow morning. Same time, same place. Bring Trouty, and we can have a proper debriefing.” 

Blaine was still shaking his head in horror after dropping Santana off. However, he forced his mind to focus on the perfect arrangement for his song choice. It was last minute, but he could pull it together on the acoustic guitar before hopping in the shower and slipping into his tuxedo. He figured a stripped-back instrumentation, especially one that focused on the guitar, would be perfect for Sam. 

He sang softly as he pulled into his driveway. “As long as you love me we could be starving. We could homeless. We could be broke. As long as you love me I’ll be your platinum. I’ll be your silver. I’ll be your gold.” 

“This will definitely work,” he said to himself before racing up to his bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos or comments so far. You're all making me feel so inspired and good about writing. Per usual if you have any scenes you want for the boys just let me know. Next up will be prom night, and I have some ideas drafted for graduation day. But I want to make you all happy so please don't hesitate to offer hints or directions.


	5. Getting the party started (prom part 2).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK, I think I have a serious self-control issue. My one-part prom saga became a two-parter earlier this morning. Now it is a three-chapter extravaganza. Here's the second installment. I promise that it ends after the next chapter, but I was having too much fun with all the characters to cut anything out.

“Deep breaths, Tina! I’m picking Sam up right now. We’ll be on our way to your house for pictures very soon. Yes, I know this is your day. We will not fuck it up. Yes, I promise we won’t be late. Ok, breathe honey. I mean it. You do not want to pass out. I’ll see you soon, your majesty.”

Blaine took a calming breath himself before nervously knocking on the Hudson/Hummel’s front door. Even though he knew Carole and Burt’s hospitality was the only thing that brought Sam into his life, it was strange to visit his current boyfriend at his ex’s house. 

“What’s up Blaine,” Finn smiled as he opened the door in an almost wrinkle-free tuxedo of his own. “Can you believe Mr. Schue asked me to chaperone prom? I hope no one spikes the punch bowl this time. That would be a real shame.” The tall teen tried to hand Blaine a flask and spectacularly failed at winking in the process. Blaine couldn’t help but laugh.

“Finn, you have the least sly wink of all time. And although someone does need to carry on Puck’s legacy, I don’t think I’m your guy. I have to get Sam like now because Tina is – to put it lightly – freaking the fuck out about being on time. She wants to have the whole night to make her case for winning prom queen.”

“Oh, yeah. Be strong, man. I’ve seen Tina like this before, and I’d rather play with fire. Sam was just finishing up in my room, but he needs help with his cufflinks. Can you go do that because I have no clue how those things work? By the way, you’re looking very fine, Mr. Anderson.”

Blaine blushed a spectacular shade of crimson. “I’m on it! You go help Mr. Schue out, and we’ll see you at the dance.” With that he slipped by and ran upstairs. 

Finn’s bedroom was as messy as ever. The space was overflowing with trophies from a life in sports. Clothes spilled out of his closet and overflowed from the gaping drawers of his dresser. The full effect could feel a little suffocating, and it was even more crowded since Carole insisted on moving a second bed in for Sam. 

Speaking of, Blaine took a moment to catch his breath when his eyes settled on his boyfriend. He needed this time; Tina would have to understand.

“You look so handsome, Sammy.” In an effort not to be that couple, they opted out of matching tuxes. Blaine chose a svelte charcoal one with black velvet piping while Sam settled on classic black. The stark color perfectly complimented his golden skin. His blond hair was slicked back, but Blaine could see that a couple strands looked ready to sweep in front of his emerald eyes. The full effect was obviously sexy but also disarmingly adorable in a wholesome way.

“Look who’s talking, beautiful. Can you help me with my cufflinks? Finn was supposed to, but I don’t think he even knows what cufflinks are let alone how to put them on. I had to help him with his bowtie, and I’m pretty sure he picked his tuxedo up off the floor and dusted off crumbs from breakfast before putting it on. He’s a great guy, but he definitely needs some help. Oh, before I forget, check this out.” 

Sam quickly unbuttoned his dress shirt and held it open to show off his undershirt, which was emblazed with the Blonde Chameleon logo. “I made you a Nightbird one so we could be on theme tonight, Mr. President. Very Super Man chic if you will.” 

After last year’s dinosaur prom, Blaine and Sam decided to continue in the tradition of unexpected themes. As self-professed superhero nerds, they decked out the gym to resemble a hero’s lair.

“They’re perfect!” Blaine quickly helped Sam finish up his outfit and undressed to put his new undershirt on. He could feel his boyfriend’s eyes on his torso. Instead of getting shy, he was overcome by a surge of confidence. “Do you like what you see, baby?”

Blaine looked up at Sam through his lashes and grinned softly.

“Can’t wait to see you taking everything off again later,” Sam teased. “But I also got a call from Tina and know that she’ll have our balls on a stick if we’re late for pictures. It just so happens that I want my balls for later, so I don’t want to test her. Before we leave though, Carole wanted to see us.” Taking Blaine’s hand, he led the boy downstairs to the living room where Carole and Burt were watching TV. 

Carole’s eyes lit up as she looked them over. “You two are so handsome. Truly the perfect match.” Blaine blushed with nerves and uttered a quick thanks. 

“Don’t stress them out now,” Burt said. Blaine couldn’t help thinking that he and his wife were actually the perfect match. Losing them was one of the worst parts of breaking up with Kurt. That’s why he was so surprised and grateful when Burt kept talking. 

“You know she is right though, guys. Blaine, you and Kurt had a nice thing together, but even he can see how happy you are with Sam. Don’t think we’re blind to it, either. Carole and I love you both, and we’re so happy that you’re happy together. I’m not one for speeches, but I want you to know you have our blessing. Now pose for one quick photo, and we’ll let you get on your way. Carole got a call from Tina not even five minutes ago double checking if you two would be on time. If I were you I wouldn’t want to hold her up.” 

Carole sprang into action as both the creative director and lead photographer of a mini photoshoot. “Sam wrap your arms around Blaine. Just like that. Now, Blaine honey, you look up at Sam.” She smiled after snapping a couple photos. “Thank you for satisfying my inner mom. And I’ll make sure to send these to your mom, Sam. She has been asking me questions about your tuxedo all day. Run along now. Love you both.” 

Before leaving, Sam and Blaine pulled her in for a quick hug. “Thank you for everything,” Blaine whispered into Carole’s ear. 

Then he and Sam ran back out to his car. Sam grabbed Blaine’s hand before he could start the engine. “I hope you know how incredible you look, Blaine. You’re so handsome, and I’m about to be the luckiest guy in McKinley tonight because you’re all mine. But before we head off I have one more surprise for you.” 

He pulled out a small white box and handed it over to Blaine. Inside was a boutonniere comprised of a single red rose set off over a sprig of baby’s breath. It was classic, beautiful and so thoughtful. 

“The lady at the flower shop told me baby’s breath represents eternal love. That’s what the little white flowers are called. Then even I knew what a red rose represents. She also showed me how to put it on. Let me do it really quick, then we’ll get on our way.”

Blaine stopped his boyfriend with a quick kiss. “Sammy, you blow my mind every day. Thank you for being the most amazing person on the planet. I do not know what I’d do without you.” 

“Well hopefully you never have to find out. But it’s time for Nightbird to put his Night Crawler in drive. Remember what I said about our balls. We need them.”

As expected, Tina’s house was a whirlwind of emotions. Their raven-haired friend was more powerful than any act of god in situations like this. Immediately upon getting there Blaine was forcibly dragged upstairs to sit with Tina as she finished her makeup. Meanwhile Sam was left to make small talk with Tina’s parents.

“Honey, just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I know anything about makeup.” Blaine tried to no avail to excuse himself from her sunlit bathroom. “You’d be better off letting your dog do your eyeliner.”

“I know, Blainey Days. But I need my best guy up here to keep me calm. You promise that I can walk in between you and Sam, right? I want everyone to know that I’m single but that all the boys love me.” 

“You know it. Now finish up because I’m pretty sure Santana and Brittany just got here. All we need are Artie and Kitty, then we’ve got the whole crew. Everyone else is meeting us at the dance since they’re performing the first number.” 

Tina finished up and stepped back to look at herself in the mirror. She was resplendent in her black and silver ballgown. “You look just like a queen. Now take my hand, and I’ll guide you down the steps.” 

Tina smiled at him and allowed him to help her step into a towering pair of heels. Artie and Kitty came through the door as they descended the grand staircase.

“Your Highness is looking very lovely today,” Artie said with a smile. Even Kitty nodded in appreciation. 

Sam walked into the hallway with Santana and Brittany on his arms. 

“These ladies were looking for an escort, and I couldn’t say no.” He joked before yanking Blaine in for another searing kiss.

“Keep it in your pants, Trouty. Save that for the dance. Or after if the rumors are true.” Santana lowered her voice so only Sam, Blaine and Brittany could hear. Blaine cringed and Sam spluttered in shock while Brittany nodded knowingly. “In the meantime, let’s do photos and hop in the limo. They charge by the minute, and I’m not made of money here guys.” 

Tina’s parents raced in with a massive camera and directed everyone to assigned spots. It could have been agonizing, but Sam kept his arms around Blaine the whole time. They were shepherded into the limo by an aggrieved-looking Santana fifteen minutes later. 

“I was not kidding, guys. I got paid in Yeast-I-Stat for my first acting gig. Shockingly this limo service did not accept a box full of drugs for payment. I know this was my gift to you all, but get in there right now or I’ll go all Lima Heights on your asses.”

Their method of transportation was as luxe as it was apparently expensive. The group had space to spread out on the deep leather seats. But Blaine’s eyes immediately went to the stripper pole that stood in the center of the car. He couldn’t help picturing Sam’s sinuous body wrapped around the pole. Thankfully, his dream became a reality moments later. 

Sam and Brittany fought for dominance of the pole the whole way to the dance.

Their ride ended just as unceremoniously as it began. Santana shunted the group out before grabbing Brittany by her hand and helping her to the ground. 

“Let’s get this party started,” Sam said as he came up behind Blaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the reviews and kudos. They mean the world to me. Don't forget to let me know if there is anything else you want to see. Next up is the final (for real) prom chapter then graduation. I want to get back into the idea that this story will be a collection of one-shots. So anything you want to see once the crew gets to New York (spoiler alert: a lot of people go to New York) please recommend, and I'll see what I can do.


	6. Blam's first slow dance (prom part 3).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on prom! I cannot believe this little excursion turned into a 3-part saga. But I hope you enjoy the conclusion. Definitely let me know what you think in the comments below!

“They really are too cute for words,” Tina sighed dreamily. Sam had Blaine wrapped in his arms, and Blaine was looking up at the blonde with stars in his eyes. The setting sun gilded them in golden light, and Tina was overcome with love for her boys. “It is so good to finally see them happy like this.”

“If you think this is cute, just wait. I helped Blaine and Sam pick the songs for their serenades later. Protect your lady loins, girls. You’re about to get hit square in the feels, and it’s all thanks to Auntie Snixx.” Santana couldn’t help gloating as she adjusted the plunging neckline of her silver dress. 

“I just hope Blaine doesn’t end the night with a bun in the oven,” Brittany added. “I know you all told me boys can’t get pregnant when we had the sex talk last time. But I’ve heard some very conflicting information from Lord Tubbington so I’m still researching this phenomenon.” 

Kitty strolled over in her dazzling coral dress. “Are you three talking about Sexy Lips and Tiny Tot? Even I can’t find something negative to say about them, which is a miracle.”

The younger Cheerio narrowed her eyes and grimaced. “Just kidding… What the fuck are they wearing under their shirts. Nerds.” She lovingly rolled her eyes as Blaine and Sam showed off their hidden costumes to Artie. “He looks like he wants one of his own, and that is most assuredly not happening.”

“Come on, losers. Let’s get inside before you succeed in making my boyfriend as geeky as you are. He’s bad enough as is…” Kitty threw herself in Artie’s lap and directed the group toward the school. “Wow. It’s like an explosion of nerdiness in here. Only you two could be responsible for this monstrosity.”

Brittany’s elaborate theme last year had blown the prom budget for the next decade, which meant Blaine and Sam had to get crafty. Their decorating committee papered the space in tin foil. Sam doubted his boyfriend when he saw a single strip of it hanging on the wall. But it leant a distinctly futuristic feel to the space once completed. 

The silver backdrop set the scene, but there were so many other elements that came together to transform the space from a basic gym into a techy lair. Blaine commissioned Sam to paint the McKinley logo so that it looked like something fit for Stark Tower. The final product was artfully displayed on one of the walls. There was also a reinterpretation of the Bat Signal projecting the school’s logo on the ceiling and several other easily recognizable references that spoke to the world of comics and superheroes. 

Looking around, Blaine had to agree with Kitty’s assessment. It was overwhelmingly nerdy. He absolutely loved it.

“My theme was better obviously, but I guess this is cool, Blaine Warbler. I’m assuming the dinosaurs come out later, right? I need them for my performance again.” Brittany smiled manically as she dragged Santana directly to the dance floor. Jake, Marley and Ryder were onstage singing a slightly too on-the-nose cover of Britney Spears’ “3.”

Tina rolled her eyes at the trio. “Do you think they’d ever consider a threesome? It may be the only way to ease the sexual tension brewing there. Speaking of, would you two ever add a third? I definitely volunteer to end up in the middle of a Blam sandwich if you’re looking for willing participants.” Blaine spluttered incoherently as Tina grabbed both the boys’ hands and pulled them closer.

“Just kidding! Or am I? Guess you’ll have to find out by asking me one day. On that note, I really should begin courting my future subjects. Thanks for being my super-sexy arm candy, boys.” She ran off before Blaine could find the words to respond.

Since she was already gone, he turned to Sam. “In no world is that happening. If we’re having a threesome, Tina is not invited.” 

“No worries, dude” Sam rolled his eyes at their friend’s back. “I’d say that the two of us are more than enough as is. Seeing as we haven’t even slept together yet, I’m not remotely interested in opening things up. Now if tonight doesn’t go well…” 

Blaine pulled back horrorstruck. “Are you worried about tonight not going well, Sammy? I know we said prom, but we can wait if you need more time. Or we can talk about it more. Whatever you want.”

“Blaine. Honey, breathe.” Sam’s response perfectly mirrored Blaine’s earlier conversation with Tina. Now he knew that being told to breathe was not helpful. Go figure. 

“There is no way tonight won’t be absolutely perfect because I’ll be with you. And there is no way we’re waiting any longer. I want to show you how much you mean to me, and this is the perfect way to do it. Plus, I’ve been looking forward to taking this next step, and I know you have, too. Stop freaking out and let’s hit the dance floor. I want to get in a dance or two with my very hot date before it’s our turn to perform.” 

The pair waved at Finn who was awkwardly bopping along to the music alongside Mr. Schue. They nodded respectfully at Coach Sylvester who glared at them from her perch by the punch.

“Did I tell you Finn tried to get me to spike the punch this year?” Blaine laughed. “He had a flask and everything. I guess he really wanted someone to honor Puck’s legacy.”

“He asked me, too. I told him I’d be busy with my date. I wouldn’t be surprised if Finn does it himself. He’s never made it through a full dance without getting kicked out anyway. Why start now?” 

Sam pulled Blaine closer as they walked onto the dance floor. At the same time Unique joined Marley onstage, and they launched the evening’s first ballad. 

“This is our first slow dance,” Blaine realized as he wrapped his arms around Sam’s waist. “I wish I could go to prom with you every day from here on out.”

“I don’t know if I can work that out. But I’ll always dance with you.” Sam smiled warmly at the smaller boy before pulling him in for a close embrace. “I get what you’re saying though. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment.” 

They revolved on the spot until the song ended. Santana, Brittany and Tina joined them as Artie rolled onstage and began an enthusiastic rendition of “Pony.” 

“Don’t forget to leave room for the Holy Spirit,” Coach Sylvester warned as she walked by. “That includes you Sandbags, even though I’m relatively positive that you’re no longer a student here. It’s hard to tell seeing as you spend so much time in Lima. Don’t have you a career to fail at in New York?”

“Hey!” Santana rolled her eyes.

“Hey, yourself. I know we don’t have to worry about teen pregnancy in this instance, no matter what sweet, innocent Brittany may think. But I won’t have Young Burt Reynolds and Bee Sting rubbing their love in my face. I still haven’t given up on Klaine.” 

“Sue, we talked about this. You can’t force our students into or out of relationships based on your own fantasies,” Mr. Schue reminded her as he joined the crowd. “Blaine, Sam you two are up next. Time to head toward the stage.”

Santana followed behind as the pair walked hand-in-hand through the crowd. “I know I’m usually a bit of a bitch. Ok, a lot of a bitch. But I’m actually really excited to watch you two. Probably because I had something to do with it. I can’t wait to see my little boys fly. Remember: Don’t fuck up. That would be awkward.”

Sam laughed weakly and visibly paled. “Very funny, Santana. On that note, I’m up first. So here goes.” After shaking out the nerves, he walked backstage. Moments later he reappeared with a guitar in hand.

“What’s up McKinley! I hope you’re having a fantastic night. I wanted to dedicate this performance to a special someone. You know who you are.” Blaine’s eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the melody. 

“You think I’m pretty without any makeup on. You think I’m funny when I tell the punch line wrong. I know you get me, so I let me walls come down.” He could not believe his boyfriend was singing Katy Perry to him. Sam directed his gaze at Blaine as he moved into the chorus. “You make me feel like I’m living a teenage dream the way you turn me on. I can’t sleep, let’s run away and don’t ever look back.”

The rendition stripped back the original’s production, which Blaine loved so much. However, it placed the emphasis on the lyrics and Sam’s earnest delivery. Any doubts Blaine may have had about Sam’s comfort level being with another guy evaporated. This was exactly where they were supposed to be. 

“I really found my missing puzzle piece,” he whispered to Santana who squeezed his arm.

“Yeah you did, Frodo. If I wasn’t so happy for you both I’d be violently ill because this is beyond romantic. Now go get ready.” Blaine stayed glued in place until Sam played the final chord. He had to race and grab his own guitar so that there wasn’t a noticeable lull in the music, but he refused to miss a moment. 

Blaine and Sam locked eyes as they walked by each other. The curly haired teen wanted to wait until after his song to tell Sam how much he loved the performance. But he was overcome by emotion and pulled his man in for a passionate kiss. He could make out Brittany and Tina’s wolf-whistles and Santana screaming “Get a room” from the audience. 

“You sang Katy Perry for me. Sammy, my heart! Now excuse me while I go return the favor.” Sam slapped him on the butt before joining Santana at the front of the crowd. “I don’t know how to follow up that perfect performance, but I’m going to try. McKinley, I need to dedicate this song to Sam Evans who has shown me that all you need is love.”

Taking a steadying breath, Blaine began his equally emotional rendition of Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love.” He could see couples dancing out of the corner of his eye, but he focused on Sam. His one goal was to make sure his boyfriend understood the depth of his feelings. There was a wave of applause as he left the stage and fell into Sam’s arms. 

“I love you, Blaine Anderson. You resurrected The Justin Bieber Experience. What a moment. And it was amazing: I felt like I could picture our future together as you were singing. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my forever with you.”

Santana pantomimed gagging as she wrapped her arms around the boys and pulled them away from the stage. “Yes, yes. Very romantic. Back to dancing please. I want to see more of Trouty’s White Chocolate moves, and I think we’ve already established that you both owe me for the life-saving advice earlier. Oh, look at that. Frankenteen got kicked out of another dance.”

The trio could just make out Coach Sylvester berating Finn about something by the entrance before literally pushing him out and slamming the door in his face. 

“I guess his attempts to spike the punch did not go over very well.” Sam snorted. “Poor guy.”

Blaine however was focused on Tina, Brittany and Kitty who were huddled up and whispering amongst each other. “What are you three plotting?” 

“Nothing!” Tina replied far too quickly to be believable, and it was hard to miss Kitty stomping on her foot. 

“I was just telling Tina and Brittany that your performances made me believe in love again. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go dance with Artie.” She ran off before any more questions could be asked. 

Brittany grabbed Santana by the arms and pulled her off with a vague excuse. Apparently the tin foil was interfering with her psychic connection to Lord Tubbington, and she needed a moment outside to make sure he wasn’t engaging in a night of high-stakes gambling. 

“But they ran away from the exit,” Sam pointed out. Tina grabbed him by the arm and demanded a dance. “Woah, Tina. Remember what they said about room for the Holy Spirit.” He pulled Blaine into the middle and used him as a human shield to create some space. 

“This is exactly how I wanted to spend the night,” she giggled. Tina kept the pair busy dancing and talking about their upcoming Nationals performance as prom continued. 

Brittany, Santana, Artie and Kitty returned just as Coach Sylvester got onstage to announce the winners of this year’s prom king and queen. Blaine gripped Tina’s hand tightly. 

“Good luck, Tina. We all voted for you. Wait, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Seriously, Blainey Days? Just listen to Coach Sue, and you’ll find out.” She physically directed Blaine’s attention toward the cheerleading coach who was rambling on about the ineptitudes of the student body. Wait, what did she say?

“Really, idiots? Once again, this year’s winners weren’t even on the ballot. If you’re all so fond of write-ins, make sure to pencil my name in for President in the next election. In the meantime, I guess it’s time to call up our royal couple. Ladies and gentleman, they aren’t Klaine, but after seeing their performances earlier I guess they’ll do. Give it up for Blam. That’s Blaine Anderson and Sam Evans for the uninformed, which I’m sure most of you are.”

Blaine shuddered as a spotlight found them in the crowd. “Tina, what?!”

“Honey, you’re so clueless. Yes, I wanted to be Prom Queen. But you and Sam are literally perfect together. That’s why Brittany, Kitty and I got together and convinced everyone that you deserved the win. Don’t worry. I’m seriously happy for you. Get your boyfriend, go collect your crowns and please go stand under the spotlight so I can take a billion photos of your first dance as the royal couple.”

Sam held out a hand and pulled Blaine along. “This was a surprise,” he whispered.

“Um, that’s an understatement. I was fully prepared for Tina to claw the eyes out of anyone who came between her and the crown. But she organized this? I guess we should make the most of it, huh?”

“You read my mind exactly.” Blaine and Sam held hands as Sue placed the crowns on their heads. They moved closer together as Jake’s honeyed voice began singing Sam Smith’s “Latch” in the distant background. “I’ll remember this moment forever, Blaine. Talk about a perfect night.”

Blaine gasped with delight as Sam executed a dramatic dip. “It really is. And I think we should head out after this and get started on the grand finale.”

Sam grinned as the audience cheered them on in the song’s final moments. “I love the way you think. Let’s get out of here.” With that they waved at their friends and raced toward the door. 

“Don’t forget I want a full report tomorrow, Frodo. You owe me. And use protection, Trouty.” Santana shouted as she watched the couple walk off.

“What was that about,” Sam asked, his face alight with curiosity. 

“Trust me when I say that you do not want to know,” Blaine laughed. “Now come on. I want to show you this special thing I can do with my tongue. I promise you’ll love it.” He winked as Sam’s eyes bulged out of his face. 

“This night keeps getting better and better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed going to prom with our guys. I'm a little nervous about this chapter because I still think that a lot went down here even though it was only technically one night. I'm also trying to get better at integrating a plot that reads seamlessly instead of coming off as very disjointed and jumpy. So I want to know what you think? Am I doing alright with that or not? PLEASE tell me anything you think i can work on i the comments below.
> 
> Also, I still want to know if you have any requests for the story. Next up in graduation. But once the New Directions make it to New York, I'm open for any and all ideas! Seriously!


	7. Graduation was a blur.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another day, and another chapter! I don't know how much longer I can keep this pace up, but I'm trying to ride out the wave of productivity as long as I can. Here's my chapter on graduation. It's my longest yet, but I wanted to try and fit a lot in before everyone went of to New York. 
> 
> As an advance warning, that means I do address Finn's death. I hope I did his character justice. He wasn't always my favorite, but there's no denying the role he played on the show. Please let me know what you think with a review below. And if you want to keep up with things definitely make sure to subscribe to the story.

“New Directions, new and old! We’ve been celebrating them all day, but let’s give it up again for the class of 2013.”

Rachel wasn’t kidding; graduation really had been an all-day affair. Blaine hardly remembered walking across the stage to collect his diploma in the early hours of the morning. After that, it was a blur. He, Sam, Tina, Artie and Brittany danced in the choir room wearing their caps and gowns. Then they returned to the stage and relived some of their favorite performances as their parents and friends cheered in the audience.

The seniors posed for photos with the rest of New Directions, Mr. Schue, Coach Bieste (who broke down in tears several times) and Ms. Pillsbury. Even Principal Figgins stopped by to congratulate the teens. In a memorable moment, Sam and Blaine managed to convince a very reluctant looking Coach Roz and Coach Sylvester to take a photo together. Sure, Coach Sue may have pinched Sam and told the blonde he’d never measure up to Kurt. Then Coach Roz called Blaine Fruity Fonzie one last time. But the outlandish women played a role in their time at McKinley and would never be forgotten. 

Blaine blushed remembering another moment he shared with Sam on the football field. After all, he’d never expected to finish off the year as a co-captain of the Cheerios and dating the State-winning quarterback. Obviously, it was essential they commemorate what was basically a gay fantasy come to life. 

When they ran out onto the 50-yard-line, he expected a hug. Carole’s photos perfectly captured the look of joyous surprise on his face as Sam draped Blaine in his lettermen’s jacket and quite literally swept him off his feet for a game-changing kiss. Their friends wolf-whistled from the bleachers as the duo took a well-deserved bow. It was the first time Blaine remembered hearing the older woman laugh in weeks. 

“Thank you boys for including Burt and I in your special day,” she said before she and her husband left. “It has been a real privilege to watch you both grow up. I hope you know how much we love you and how much Finn adored you two and everyone else on that team. Everything you did has made us all so proud, and I know you’re just getting started. You have fun celebrating now. Sam, I’ll see you and your family tomorrow morning before you leave. Blaine, stop by for breakfast and bring your parents if you can. Seriously.” 

Blaine pulled the woman he considered a second mother in for a tight embrace and nuzzled closer as he felt Sam’s arms wrap around them both. His boyfriend got emotional as he spoke. 

“Carole, I cannot thank you enough for all you’ve done for all of us. You and Burt parented every single member of New Directions, but Blaine and I especially. You gave me a home and a chance to chase my dreams in Lima. You gave us a space to be together where we never worried about being judged. I knew I’d always be safe inside your walls. That I’d always be loved. I’ll never forget that, and I’ll never be able to repay you. And we will never forget Finn. He was my friend, my teammate, my brother. He was truly one of the best men I’ve ever met. Thank you for sharing him with us.”

“We’ll always be here for you, Carole. Please don’t forget that. It is an honor to consider myself one of your boys. Sam and I will do everything to make you proud, and we’ll make sure the rest of the team stays together. It’ll take both of us to fill Finn’s shoes, but I swear we won’t let you down.”

The older teen’s sudden death shook the New Directions to the core. It was a miracle that they all got through the funeral where Kurt refused to take off Finn’s jacket, and Rachael delivered a heartbreaking rendition of “Make You Feel My Love.” 

His loss left a gaping hole in so many hearts and the team struggled to come up with a plan of action leading into Nationals without him. In the end it was Sam’s idea to perform their mentor’s favorite songs. 

Sam broke down as he embraced Carole one last time. “I wish we’d been able to land a second National title for Finn this year. I’m so sorry Carole. I feel like I could have done more.”

“Do not ever let me here you say that again, Sam Evans. Watching you all on stage was one of my single proudest moments since we lost Finn. I felt like I could breathe again for the first time. So thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me, this old lady needs to go home with her husband and print off some photos of her kids.”

Finn’s absence was felt by everyone as the day continued with a late lunch at Breadstix. Then it was off to Rachel’s house. She and the rest of the alumni took it upon themselves to host a graduation party. It started with a wholesome cookout and bonfire in the back yard. As the night went on everyone’s parents went home, and the kids moved downstairs to Rachel’s basement. 

That’s how the newly graduated seniors found themselves belting out “Don’t Stop Believin’” while dancing around the small stage. As the final two inaugural members, Tina and Artie took lead vocals. Sam could see the pride on Artie’s face as he tackled Finn’s defining song. 

“Damn, Artie! You bodied that,” he shouted after the final note. The quintet fell in a heap on the ground as everyone else rushed them.

“This may be the end of your time at McKinley, but it’s just the beginning of an exciting new adventure in New York City. I cannot believe your entire graduating class will be there with us tomorrow,” Rachel shouted. “Everyone get a drink and get back here. I want to propose a toast.”

There was no two-drink limit this time around. Puck pulled through with his fake ID, and the bar was overflowing with bottles. Sam grabbed tequila and poured shots for himself and Blaine. “Anyone else want one,” he asked the crowd. Brittany, Santana and Kitty reached out desperately. 

“We’re so doing body shots again later, Trouty. I know I don’t ring your bell anymore, but I fully expect an opportunity to get up on those abs one last time. And don’t worry, Frodo. I’ll do you, too. I wonder if I can take a shot off that very fine ass of yours… Guess we’ll have to find out after Hobbit finishes her speech.” Blaine blushed a spectacular shade of crimson as Santana and Brittany got lost in the crowd.

“Let’s get back up there before Rachel flips out. One second though. I want to grab a drink for her, Kurt and Puck. Those three haven’t had a chance to get up here yet.” Blaine hastily poured raspberry vodka into two shot glasses and dipped into the whiskey for Puck. Impulsively he grabbed a beer. “For Finn,” he explained as Sam looked at him with curiosity in his eyes. 

Rachel smiled at Blaine as he handed her a drink. Her eyes glazed over with sorrow as she saw the honorary drink. Grabbing Kurt and Puck, they walked it over to a photo of Finn on one of the walls. Puck opened the beer with a flourish as Kurt grabbed an ornate table. Rachel took a sip and grimaced before setting the bottle on display. 

“Finn always laughed at me when I tried to drink beer. But this way it’ll be like he’s in on the toast with us,” Rachel explained. With a steadying breath she hopped back onstage. 

“I promise to keep it brief so that we can get the real party started. First, let me congratulate the seniors again. Blaine and Tina, Kurt and I cannot wait to have you at NYADA next semester. Artie, film school is not ready for the incredible work you’ll be creating. Brittany, I cannot believe MIT is letting you take classes remotely from our apartment. And Sam, Pratt is so lucky to have you. I cannot believe I didn’t know you were such a talented artist until Blaine showed me your work.”

“Pick up the pace, Hobbit. I gotsta get my drink on.” Santana shouted.

Rachel rolled her eyes and glared in the girl’s direction. “Thank you for that interruption, Roomie. Now, as I was saying: All of you are going to be wonderful in the city. I’m so excited that you were able to get the flat next door to us. Our lives will be like a season of Friends, only infinitely gayer and more dramatic. Obviously you’ll all have front row tickets to my opening night of Funny Girl. This is for the five of you but also the rest of your group: Thank you for upholding our legacy. None of us ever worried that you’d let us down, and I cannot tell you how much it means. And Finn… Finn always told me. He always said…”

Kurt stepped up as Rachel softly cried. He wrapped his arms around his best friend and pulled the rest of the prior year’s class onstage with them. 

“Finn always told all of us how incredibly talented you were. He’d say that you were all so much better than we were, which I personally found hard to believe. But all it takes is a look at what you accomplished to see that he wasn’t lying. Our seniors left it all on the stage with every performance. And they were not alone.”

Mercedes took over. “Now our seniors are where we were this time last year. Your futures are about to begin and that’s so exciting. But even better is that it’s your turn to rest secure knowing that the newest iteration of New Directions is fantastically talented.”

“I don’t say this often,” Santana added. “As I’ve told some of you, I’m a bit of a bitch. But I can firsthand say that we have a talented crew of students for next year. Marley, Unique, Jake, Ryder, Joe and Sugar. Yes, even you, Richie Bitch. I’ve got a lot of faith in you.”

Puck stepped up. “So don’t you dare fuck it up.” Almost immediately Quinn grabbed her boyfriend by the arm and pulled him back. Mike slapped a hand over his mouth and laughed cheerfully.

“I’m going to let Quinn translate that one for you,” Mike teased.

“What Puck means to say is that we hope you all know how much we trust you. We love you all and know that you’ll do incredible things for New Directions next year,” Quinn added. She wrapped her hand in Rachel’s as the former co-captain stepped back up.

“I know that as a group you went through things that we old folks will never be able to imagine. And I feel safe to say that we’re all blown away by what you accomplished. So as Santana was so rudely shouted, it’s time to get our party on.” 

She held up her glass and clinked it with the former members onstage. Meanwhile the graduating class did the same with their remaining teammates.

Blaine shuddered as the tequila burned on the way down. “It never gets any easier,” he joked.

“And your tolerance never gets any better, baby. It’s a good thing we’re sleeping here. Let’s try and sneak away before we get too sloppy for some graduation-day sex. I think I’m getting better at your tongue trick, and I want to try it out again.” Sam looked over his boyfriend’s shoulder in confusion. “Um… Don’t look now, but why are all, and I do mean all, of my exes descending on us?” 

Blaine jumped as he was grabbed from behind by several pairs of hands. “Blaine, we’d like to talk to you.” Quinn took the lead. “We’ll bring him right back, Sam. I promise.” She and Mercedes dragged him off to a corner while Santana and Brittany trailed behind.

“Don’t worry, Trouty. I won’t let those two hurt him. Not too badly at least.” Sam watched in bemused confusion as the four girls circled around Blaine. Then he jumped in surprise as Kurt popped up next to him.

“Can we talk, Sam?”

“Wow, it really is an attack of the exes tonight, huh? But absolutely Kurt. I always have time for you.” Sam smiled warmly at his friend. “Do you want me to promise to take care of Blaine? You know I will. I love him more than the air in my lungs.”

Kurt smiled warmly. “I figured as much. I’ve heard nothing but good things from all my spies around McKinley. What I actually wanted to do was thank you for sharing Blaine with me at the funeral. I cannot tell you how grateful I was to have you both at my side. That’s when I fully knew you were perfect for each other.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask, Kurt. Not that I’m complaining or anything. Obviously, I’m really glad you figured it out. But how did you know I had feelings for Blaine?” The shorter boy laughed.

“I wasn’t totally sure. But I could see how you looked at him. It reminded me of the way I used to pine after him. It was the way Finn watched over Rachel, too. When Unique confirmed that he loved you, I went out on a limb and told him that he’d find love in your arms. I’m so glad I was right. But then, you always were just like Finn. By that I mean you were almost painfully transparent as well as a natural-born leader. Now come with me really quick. You, Rachel and I need to talk about the decoration in your apartment. Blaine’s a top-tier gay, but trust me when I say that you’re better off if we take the lead on that project. Plus, it looks like you’ve got a bit before your guy escapes the inquisition over there.” 

The pair walked off in comfortable companionship. Meanwhile, Blaine found himself being interrogated and lightly threatened by the girls. 

“We didn’t love Sam the right way,” Mercedes said. “It’s our loss frankly because that boy is as amazing as he is fine. But Quinn and I have heard from these two (she nodded at Brittany and Santana) that you really do love him. So you take care of our boy for us. If not you’ll face the wrath of the Unholy Trinity plus me.”

Blaine tried to speak, but Santana cut him off.

“Ok, ladies. I think we’ve all had our fun here. Let’s not scare the boy too badly. As I’ve learned the hard way, this skittish thoroughbred doesn’t handle anxiety well. Anyway I have plans for him over at the bar.”

Santana scoffed as Blaine made puppy dog eyes at her. “Did you think I was kidding, Tiny? You’re about to be a human shot glass so buckle up.” Blaine sighed and positioned himself on the ground after Santana ripped his shirt off. He cringed as the sticky liquor settled in his navel. “Ladies first.”

Blaine couldn’t help smiling as Santana, Brittany and Quinn took their turns. Count on Brittany to make it… odd.

“You taste so good, Blaine Warbler,” she gushed after her second shot. The curly haired teen wondered how to respond. But he never got a chance as Tina, Kitty and Unique rapidly formed a line. 

“You’re really doing it for the ladies,” Tina teased. Before she could take a third shot, Sam came up behind her. 

“I think it’s my turn, Tina. Santana, can you set us up?” Blaine giggled as the older girl poured an extra-generous portion of tequila onto his stomach. Then she trailed a thin line of salt up to his lips. He tried not to shiver as Sam leaned down and kissed his way his body to clean up the salt before taking the shot.

“Alright, this shot glass is closed for business,” Sam announced as he stood up. “Santana give us a little bit of time, and I’ll take my turn. I just need a couple minutes to... fill Blaine in on something.”

“I’m no fool, Guppy. By that you mean you’re going to put those super-sized lips to good use. And I don’t blame you now that I’ve gotten so close to that one’s abs. I think we’ll handle for a bit. Go have fun. I’m going to take over karaoke before Rachel hogs it all night.”

An hour later Blaine and Sam rejoined the group. Both of them looked unsurprisingly rumpled, and Blaine was wearing Sam’s hoodie again. The blonde seemed to have misplaced his shirt, but no one was complaining. They tipsily smiled as they watched their friends have fun around them.

“I’m so glad that so many of us will be together still,” Blaine yawned. “And we leave tomorrow. That’s going to be one rough-ass train ride for some of us. Not us though because you’re responsible.”

Sam kissed Blaine on the cheek. “I just know that you’ll want to be at your best when we say goodbye to everyone. This is so wild. Can you believe we made it?”

“I don’t know how we pulled it off, but we really did it. Well, that’s a lie. We pulled this off because we had each other. And we were never alone. Remember when Tina made that football player who tried to punch you cry? Even Kitty was impressed. And Artie and Brittany always had our back. Then there was everyone else. Sammy, I’ll miss everyone else.”

“This isn’t goodbye, babe. Remember how it felt when last year’s class graduated. We missed them, but we still kept it touch. It’ll be the same. And Rachel was right; I cannot wait to see the team that Kitty, Unique and Marley put together. Those three are dangerous. Now let’s go enjoy the rest of the night. We won’t get to do this again for a while.”

The rest of the party passed in a pleasant haze. And it continued in a way the next morning as everyone packed up and prepared to meet at the train station for a final send-off. Blaine and Sam took a moment in front of Finn’s photo before leaving Rachel’s.

“We’ll never let you down, dude.” Sam promised as Blaine reached out to touch the frame. “You’ll always be our quarterback, and we’ll always take care of everyone who you loved. C’mon Blaine. Finn knows that already. Let’s run before we’re late for breakfast.

A couple hours later, the New York City crew boarded the train and waved goodbye to all their family and friends. “Here’s to an exciting new chapter of our lives,” Blaine shouted out to the group. He directed his smile at Sam who replied in part.

“Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you AGAIN for all of the reviews and kudos you've left for me. I haven't had a chance to reply to them all yet, but I promise I will be doing that tomorrow. Per usual please don't hesitate to let me know what you think and/or request a story.
> 
> Next up will be a transitional story that gets the group set up in New York. I think I'm going to give Blaine a job. I wonder if any of you will be able to guess what it is! After that I have several other ideas, but I would love even more.


	8. New York City & new beginnings.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back! Like promised, today's chapter introduces Blam and friends to New York City. It also features my first two original characters. I don't foresee adding too many more of those since Glee provides so many characters to choose from. This was more a study for myself in character building. 
> 
> Per usual let me know what you think!

“That’s the last of it. I cannot believe we’re officially settled in our own place in New York City,” Blaine bounced up and down after dropping a pile of his clothes in the dresser. “All of this is ours. Well, obviously it’s ours to share with Tina and Artie. But still... We’re doing pretty well for ourselves, Sammy.” 

Sam looked up at his boyfriend and nodded giddily from where he was sprawled across the bed they’d be sharing for the foreseeable future. 

Both boys’ parents insisted they rent a space with four bedrooms. “Just in case you break up or get in a fight and want extra space for a night or two,” Blaine’s mom explained when they were apartment hunting over spring break. “We get that you two are adults and recognize you want to sleep together. But we also need you to think logically.”

Luckily the flat across from Rachel, Kurt, Santana and now Brittany was large enough to fit a fourth room, which they planned to use as a guest space. Puck already claimed it for nights that he was too tired to ride the subway back to his apartment across the city.

Blaine smiled as he threw himself down on the bed and wrapped his arm around Sam. He surveyed the bedroom with a sense of pride. Admittedly it was still fairly bare, but his parents provided a bed and dresser. Some of Sam’s art already hung on the wall, and Blaine unpacked a framed photo from their dance as royal couple at prom. They’d fill out the rest with odds and ends over the coming months. 

“We made it. And we have the whole summer to get settled in before classes start up. It’s really cool that your parents are helping us pay rent and were able to get some furniture in here, Blaine. But I want to find some sort of job. It doesn’t seem fair to just slide by while they pay for everything.” 

“That was actually part of the deal when they agreed to this setup. All of us have to balance work with our class schedule. I was going to start looking later this week. I don’t know about you, but I’m still exhausted after yesterday. The ride up wasn’t exactly relaxing, either.”

“That’s an understatement. I cannot believe Brittany brought Lord Tubbington in her suitcase.” After waving goodbye to their family and friends, the New York New Directions found a compartment on the train. It wasn’t until a very hungover Santana laid her head on Brittany’s bag that anyone realized the blonde snuck her cat along. “I get she was afraid he’d rejoin the Cat Mafia and turn to a life of hard drugs if she wasn’t there to keep an eye on him. But only Brittany would move to a new city and only pack her fondue kit and cat. I dated her for months and still don’t understand the way her mind works sometimes.”

“Are you guys talking about Brittany?” Tina asked as she peeked into the bedroom. “That girl lives in her own world, and it is truly a magical place. Artie and I are calling a house meeting so that we can figure out plans for dinner. I think Brittany and Santana are going on a date. Rachel has rehearsals, Puck’s working and Kurt was meeting up with Adam. That means it’s just the four of us.”

Sam hopped off the bed and held out a hand to pull Blaine up. They followed Tina into the common space where Artie was already sitting and talking to Kitty on his phone. Everyone looked up in surprise as they heard a knock at the door. 

“I wonder who that is,” Tina said. “It’s not like anyone else knows we’re here yet. Do you think it’s Santana coming to tell us about some other surprises in Brittany’s suitcase?”

“I doubt Santana would knock; she probably already had a key made.” Blaine joked as he opened the door. His expression shifted to a welcoming grin when he saw two women standing in the hall. One had miles of wavy hair and the best eyebrows he’d ever seen. The other had a mane of sun-streaked hair and wore a shimmering crystal necklace over a tie-dyed shirt. 

“Helloooo, darling,” the curly haired women took the lead. “I’m Emma, and this is my best friend Debbie. We just moved in the flat below you and wanted to come introduce ourselves. We saw you all hauling your stuff upstairs and figured you may be new, too.”

Blaine noticed that Emma spoke as exuberantly as Unique and took an instant liking to her. “Nice to meet you both,” he smiled politely and made introductions. “I’m Blaine. That over there’s my boyfriend Sam. Then over here we have my friends Tina and Artie. Our other friends actually live across the hall, but I don’t think anyone’s home right now.”

He stepped back and welcomed the girls inside. 

Emma looked around and whistled her approval. “Looks nice in here. But I’m so glad we’re on the ground floor because there is no way we could have gotten this one’s crystals up here even with an elevator. It was bad enough getting them through the subway.” She pointed at Debbie and laughed at the mere thought.

Debbie rolled her eyes, but Blaine noticed she made no denials. He smiled as the two women grabbed a seat on the couch next to Tina. 

“Girl, I love your makeup,” Tina gushed at Emma. Then she turned her attention to Debbie. “And your nails are flawless. Where do you get them done?”

“We actually work at a salon. It’s on this block, which is why Emma and I moved. Our commute is officially the best ever.” Debbie exuded a very calming presence, whereas it was quickly becoming obvious that Emma vibrated with energy even when sitting still. Blaine could tell they were perfectly balanced as a pair. “What about you? Where are you from?”

“We’re all new to New York. We just moved from a town called Lima in Ohio and are starting school in the fall. It sounds like you two are experts at life in the city so I’m sure we’ll be coming to you for advice all the time.” Sam explained from his spot on an oversized chair. He pulled Blaine onto his lap without missing a beat. 

“Actually,” Tina said. “Maybe you can point us in the right direction now. We were hoping to go somewhere for dinner. Do you have any recommendations?”

Emma bounced back to her feet and clapped her hands. “Oh, you’re in good hands. Let’s take them to Zeph, Deb.” 

A short walk later, the group found themselves sitting in a local pub called Zephyr and laughing over drinks. The bar didn’t look like much based on its bland façade. However, the four friends were surprised to see it boasted a back patio that was comfortably nestled into the block. Sparkling fairy lights added to the ambiance. Live music played in the background and drowned out the city sounds.

Blaine blushed as Sam pulled him in for a kiss at the table. “We’re finally in New York, so I can kiss you anytime I want,” the blonde teased. “It’s so nice not to be at McKinley anymore.”

“How long have you two been together,” Debbie asked. Blaine and Sam explained how they’d made the transition from best friends to more than friends and grimaced as their friends added some additional insight. Tina’s retelling of how the pair quite literally came out of the closet had everyone laughing.

After dinner, they made their way back toward the apartment building. Emma and Debbie pointed out their salon as they walked by the chic space.

“Oh, you’re hiring a receptionist,” Blaine noticed a Help Wanted sign in the window. “I was actually looking for a job that I could do while going to school. Do you think I could make that work?”

“Yaaas, honey! Meet me downstairs tomorrow morning, and I’ll introduce you to our boss, Cathy. If Deb and I vouch for you, I guarantee you’ll get the job.”

“As long as you manage to show up regularly and smile at the clients, you’ll be better than half the other receptionists we’ve had. And the perks are really nice.” Debbie chimed in. 

Emma’s eyes lit up. “Blaine, you have to let me do your nails. You’d look so cool with black polish. And just a little bit of eyeliner. Tina, we’re obviously doing your nails, too. You’ll both look fabulous.” 

“Wow. Things are moving fast. I didn’t think we’d end our first night with new friends and a lead on a job. And I’ve actually always wanted to get my nails done. It just didn’t seem like the smartest thing to do back in Ohio. You probably picked up on it earlier, but Sam and I have dealt with small-town homophobia before.”

“New York isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot more accepting than Ohio,” Debbie promised. “People are different here. Plus, it looks like you’ve already got a great support system. Now we’ll keep an eye on you, too.” She sounded so earnest that Blaine couldn’t help trusting her. “Believe me, neither a boy wearing nail polish nor two guys kissing will be the strangest thing you see on this street.” 

For evidence she subtly pointed out a lady who was wearing a floor-length fur jacket and thigh-high leather boots while strutting down the street. Blaine felt like sweating just looking at the jacket in the early summer heat. The lady came to a sudden halt as she passed their group. 

“You there,” she demanded imperiously and vaguely pointed into the crowd of friends. Artie looked up. “Not you. The breathtakingly handsome blonde behind you. Come a little closer please, boy.” Sam hesitantly walked up to the lady who grabbed his face and inspected it closely.

“Yes. You have the perfect bone structure.” Sam yelped as she pulled his shirt up and inspected his stomach. “And those abs. They’re simply divine. Have you ever modeled before?” 

He shook his head. “Ah. An undiscovered talent. I have an eye for those, you know? How would you like to lead a life of intrigue and fame, boy? I can see it now. In three months, I’ll have your face on billboards all over this town.” 

Sam blinked. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”

“How silly of me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Bichette, and I own the city’s most prestigious modeling agency. You’ll go far with me, boy.” The lady reached into a tiny purse and pulled out a business card, which she slipped into the collar of Sam’s shirt. 

His eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect. “As long as I can work on my degree at the same time, I’d love to hear more about the opportunity. I can’t believe I met you tonight, Bitch-ette.”

“It’s Bichette, boy. Please don’t let me hear you mispronounce it again. Now I must run or I’ll be late for drinks at Vogue. Call me at that number tomorrow, and we’ll set up another meeting.” She abruptly turned and continued on her way leaving everyone gaping at the exchange.

“You don’t even know my name! It’s Sam, by the way. Sam I am. I’ll call tomorrow.” Sam shouted at her rapidly retreating form. “Guys! I could be a super model. Imagine that.” His smile was radiant. 

“As if any of us doubted that was a possibility, Sammy. Definitely call her in the morning and see what she has to say. If you want I can get Cooper to look over any contracts she presents.” Blaine’s brother was always begging for an opportunity to help Blaine and his friends become famous. 

Debbie looked hesitant as she spoke up. “I’d recommend someone look over those contracts closely for sure. You’re in New York now, guys. That means that you’ve got to watch out for the crazies. And I’ve heard of Bichette before. She certainly has a good roster of talent, but there are rumors that she works some of them way too hard. Just take care of yourself, ok? We like you and don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Thanks for the heads up. I guess I’ll have a lot to think about. But right now we need to get home before I fall asleep standing up.” Sam led the way back to the apartment. He, Blaine, Tina and Artie said goodnight to their new friends and trudged up to their flat. 

“What do you think about all that, Blaine?” Sam quizzed his boyfriend as they pulled the emerald quilt over their bodies in bed. 

“Honey, you’d be a fantastic model. Talk to Bichette and see if that’s a good fit. If not, there will be other talent agencies. I guarantee you that one will be interested in working with you. So why don’t you take it as it comes. Just know that I’ve got your back no matter what you decide.”

“That’s why you’re the best boyfriend of all time. Now what do you say we christen this bed before falling asleep?” Sam tickled Blaine’s sides as he rolled on top of the curly haired boy.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who has left me kudos or reviews on this story I have one thing to say: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I cannot believe I've already gotten more than 250 hits and have people following along. It means the world to me.
> 
> I'm not totally sure how I feel about this chapter. It covers a lot of ground very quickly so I hope it all makes sense to you. If not please don't hesitate to ask questions so that I can provide some clarity.
> 
> And as usual if you have any story ideas let me know in the comments below. I wasn't planning on writing about prom and somehow ended up with a 3-chapter arch dealing with the dance because someone asked for it. You never know what will happen if you ask!
> 
> As it stands my next chapter is shaping up to be a little heavier and will deal with Bichette. Fingers crossed it comes together just as quickly as this one did.


	9. New city, old struggles.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another update! Today's chapter probably needs a bit of a trigger warning because it does address Sam's struggles with body image issues. I hope that I handled it in a respectful way, but I wanted to write about it a little more in depth than how it was handled on the show.
> 
> I promise that the next chapter will be all sunshine and daisies (or at least almost all that) to make up for today's darker theme. My goal for next update is Blam's one-year anniversary. How will they spend it in the city? Who else will be involved? Frankly I have no clue yet. So if you have any requests definitely let me know!

“I’m getting really worried about Sam, guys.” Tina said as she stared at Artie, Santana, Rachel, Brittany, Kurt and Puck. She’d called a meeting with the New York New Directions to talk about their friend. Her eyes settled on the only empty chair at the table. “I know we should wait for Blaine, but let’s get started and fill him in when he gets here.” 

“Where is Hobbit? He’s hardly ever late for anything, and this meeting started twenty minutes ago.” Santana rolled her eyes impatiently. “Some of us don’t have all day.”

Artie frowned as he checked his phone for a text from their missing friend. “I’m not sure. He was supposed to get off work two hours ago, but he wasn’t home yet when Tina and I left. He told me that sometimes the other receptionist just… forgets to show up. You’re right though, Tina; we should start. You take lead since you got everyone together.”

“Something’s off with Sam ever since he met up with that modeling lady two weeks ago.” Tina wrung her hands. She remembered how excited Sam had been after getting picked up by an agent on his first night in New York. The blonde chattered about it nonstop the next morning and raced out of the apartment for his second meeting. Tina happened to catch him coming back, and his smile looked forced as he mentioned plans for a photoshoot. 

“He’s obsessed with working out. And it’s way worse than how he got after he found out about his SAT scores. Seriously, he does not stop doing sit-ups like ever. We haven’t seen him eat much lately either.” 

Santana’s eyes widened in concern. She hadn’t been there for the SAT freak-out, but she remembered Brittany telling her about it. Her girlfriend had been too naïve to realize the boy was spiraling. But she mentioned she had more time to talk with Santana since Sam was so busy. 

“I remember that,” Brittany announced. “Coach Sue called him a gym rat, but I think he’s way prettier than any rat I’ve ever seen,” 

“Shit.” Santana felt a knot in her stomach as she thought about her recent interactions with Sam. “I’m the first person to say you have a flair for the dramatics, Tina. But you may be on to something. Britts and I tried to get Trouty to grab breakfast with us this morning, and he made up some lame excuse while doing pull-ups. Now that I think about it, he’s done that every time I’ve asked him to eat with me lately.” 

“He told me he’d eaten lunch already when I asked today, and he was still working out then,” Artie said. Rachel, Puck and Tina had similar stories.

“I thought Sammy was living off clouds and gumdrops like a character in a fairytale,” Brittany’s lower lip quivered as she saw how concerned her friends looked. “What can we do to help him?”

“I don’t know,” Tina admitted. “The person who fixed things last time was…” 

Before she could finish, Blaine threw the door open. His cheeks were flushed with excitement.

“Sorry I’m late,” he enthused. “But I had the best shift. You won’t even believe who came to the salon to get her nails done: Katy Perry’s assistant. I basically met someone who knows someone famous. And I touched her credit card. I wonder if Katy’s ever touched it. How cool would that be?!” 

Blaine had been smiling nonstop since starting at the salon. He loved how mature having a job made him feel and didn’t even mind that his co-worker kept calling off and leaving him with extra shifts. But his smile faded as he saw Brittany crying into Santana’s shoulder. 

“Woah. What’s going on?”

“So kind of you to finally show up, Frodo.” Santana sneered as he slipped into the empty seat. “You’re only a half hour late.”

Blaine tried not to flinch at the venom in her voice. He reminded himself that the older girl hardly ever snapped anymore unless something bad was happening. “My replacement slept through her alarm. I couldn’t leave the desk unmanned so I had to stay until she showed up. What did I miss? Wait, where’s Sam?” 

“Well, before you so rudely interrupted this meeting that everyone else showed up on time for we were talking about your boyfriend.” Santana was starting to yell, but Brittany grabbed her hand and stopped her. 

“Sam is broken, and we need to fix him.” 

Blaine looked confused at Brittany’s seemingly simple explanation. 

“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong with Sam. I sleep with him every night. Don’t you think I’d notice if something was wrong?” Sure, Blaine had been kind of busy lately, but he and Sam talked all the time. 

Well, lately Blaine had been filling Sam in on work. But his boyfriend would tell him if something was up. Right? He started as Santana snapped her fingers in front of his face and interrupted his inner monologue. 

“I think that Bichette lady freaked him out about his body. He’s been working out nonstop and none of us see him eat anymore, Blainey Days.” Tina grabbed Blaine’s hand across the table and squeezed it. “We need to get through to him, and you’re best at that.”

Santana’s tone was notably softer when she spoke this time. “If you don’t believe us go check. I bet if you walk into your bedroom right now you’ll find that perfectly fine specimen of a man working out. He was working out this morning when we invited him to breakfast. He was working out this afternoon when Artie tried to get him to grab lunch.” 

“Talk to him, Blaine. Rachel and I can call some friends and research Bichette. Someone will know her,” Kurt promised. His internship with Vogue provided a multitude of contacts in the fashion world.

Blaine nervously got up and walked across the hall. He unlocked the door to their apartment and felt his heart sink when he didn’t immediately see Sam sprawled out on the couch. “Ok,” he whispered. “Nothing to worry about yet. He’s probably just in bed or something.” 

“Hey Sammy,” Blaine frowned as he walked into their bedroom and found his boyfriend doing pushups. “It feels like forever since we’ve hung out just the two of us. How about you take a shower then we go grab dinner?”

The blonde didn’t stop moving as he puffed out a response between reps. “No thanks, dude. I’m not hungry.” 

“Ok. How about we watch a movie?” Blaine looked more closely and noticed how gaunt Sam looked. It was like he’d shaved away at his already toned frame in the last two weeks. 

Blaine could count the ribs sticking out under sweat-drenched cut-off.

Their friends were right; something was wrong.

“Nah,” Sam said. “After I finish these I’m going on a run. I’m trying to get really lean before my shoot next week.” He stumbled as he pushed up off the ground and steadied himself on the dresser. “Woah. That was a major head rush.”

Instead of stopping, Sam started doing jumping jacks.

“SAM! Look at me. I think you should eat something.”

“I said I’m not hungry.” Sam didn’t know what happened, but suddenly he was shouting. “That means I don’t want to eat, Blaine. Damnit.” 

His legs gave out underneath him a second time as his body started shaking from the combination of exhaustion and frustration. This time he fell on the bed. 

He flinched back as Blaine rushed over and helped him stand. “No, don’t touch me right now. I’m gross and sweaty.” 

“As if I care.” Blaine pulled back to look into his emerald eyes. “Honey, something is going on. Can you talk to me? Please.”

Sam fell back on the bed again and started crying into his hands. “I lied to you: I’m starving. But I can’t eat. I’m trying so hard to get ready for my photoshoot, and I have so much weight to lose. Bichette told me that she wouldn’t even book a photographer unless I cut ten pounds. I’ve tripled up on workouts. But it’s not working; I can’t drop that low.” 

Blaine’s blood boiled with a sudden rage. 

He knew how conscious Sam was of his body. Blaine flashed back to the first time they talked about it. It was when Sam was doubling up on workouts after the SAT fiasco. He thought that his body was the only thing to make him special. As though his friends would stop loving him if he gained an ounce of body fat. 

Even though he graduated high school, got into an incredible college and was looked up to by so many people, it wasn’t enough to make Sam see how incredible and deserving he really was. That hurt Blaine’s heart. Choosing his words carefully, he knelt down in front of Sam and looked up at him.

“Sammy, stop. I need you to listen to me. You are perfect in every way. In all my life I’ve never met someone as kind as you. You’d give the shirt off your back to your any of our friends. Hell, you’d give it to a stranger on the street. You practically gave up your youth to take care of your family. You’re a leader. You’re creative. You’re the best boyfriend on the planet. I love you no matter what. Every single person we know does. And you're beautiful. You're not beautiful because you have perfect muscles. You're beautiful because of who you are inside and out. If someone doesn’t see that or reduces your worth to your body mass index, then they’re wrong.” 

Blaine took a breath to try and calm himself down before he spoke again. “Honestly, fuck Bichette. If you want to model, you do not need her. I don’t care what she said about being the best when we met her. If this is how she’s making you feel, it’s a lie. We’ll find you another way into the industry if you want to try. But please don’t do it this way. Because it’s hurting you, and I can’t see you hurting like this.”

“Are you sure?” Sam’s voice shook as he asked for confirmation.

“Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, three thousand percent positive. Now come on. Let’s get you cleaned up, and then I am going to get you something to eat. We’ll deal with that bitch-ette lady after.” He purposefully mispronounced her name to draw a laugh out of Sam.

Only that laugh cut off abruptly as they heard the front door slam against the wall. Blaine refused to let go of Sam. Instead, he directed him so that they could sit on the bed and wait for their friends. Kurt was in the lead. The normally calm boy looked every bit as livid as Santana.

“Let me guess,” he deadpanned. “She hit you with ‘the camera likes… starvation,’ didn’t she?”

Sam’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Dude! How did you know?” 

“Because I just talked to my boss Isabelle who told me Bichette is on our department’s absolutely-do-not-book list. Apparently she starves half her models. Some of the editors still work with her because the fashion industry is slow to pick up on the fact that bodies come in different sizes and that being so emaciated you can’t stand up on your own isn’t healthy. But Isabelle won’t even be in her presence.”

It took both Rachel and Brittany’s combined might to hold Santana back as tried to stalk toward the door. “Let me go! I want to find that bitch and go all Lima Heights on her ass. No one hurts my Trouty, and if they do they pay the consequences.”

“Not helping, Santana.” Rachel puffed as she strained her muscles. “Puck, can I have an assist here?” 

Santana’s momentum came to an immediate halt as Puck wrapped his arms around Rachel. Artie bravely wheeled his chair in front of Santana and added an extra barrier in her quest toward the door.

“Hey, Santana. Don’t worry. I’m ok.” Sam weakly waved from the bed. He didn’t have a second to prepare himself for impact as Brittany released her girlfriend and threw herself at him. The dancer ended up in a dogpile on top of Sam and Blaine.

“Sam, you were hurting. Are you better? Did Blaine Warbler fix you with his magic boy kisses?”

He nodded solemnly and slowly so Brittany would believe him. “Something like that. I was pretty messed up, but Blaine helped. You all helped. Thank you because I know that you had something to do with this.”

“Santana, I’m not going back to that agency. If I pinky promise, can you pinky promise not to kick her ass? I don’t think we have enough money for bail right now.” 

The girl scoffed. “As if I’d ever get caught, Trouty. You forget, I learned from Sue. But I guess I can let it go this time. Unless I see her in the streets, then all bets are off.” Sam laughed weakly imagining his friend chasing down the older lady and tackling her to the ground.

“It’s a deal. Now how about I get a shower then we all go to dinner.” 

Kurt looked up from his phone. “Sounds good to me. Only, I’m picking out your outfit, Sam. I just talked to Isabelle. She’s going to meet us for dinner. I’ll introduce you, and you guys can talk agencies. There’s no one I trust more to keep you safe.”

Sam’s heart swelled as he realized Blaine was right; his friends did love him no matter what. 

“Blaine, can you help me get to the shower? I’m not sure I can stand up on my own right now.” 

“Oh! Of course.” The curly haired boy jumped up and wrapped his arm around Sam’s waist. Together they walked to the bathroom. Blaine grabbed Sam’s face in his hands once he shut the door.

“There’s something I need to say. I’m so sorry that I missed this. I was so focused on my new job that I wasn’t paying enough attention to how you were hurting. How can I do better, Sammy?”

Sam wiped a couple tears from his boyfriend’s eyes. “Nope. No way, Blaine. You may not have noticed, but this isn’t entirely your fault. I didn’t tell you. And you should be excited about your job, honey. You’re doing amazing at it. Let’s make a deal, you don’t blame yourself if I don’t blame myself about this one. And moving forward, we’ll talk to each other about these things.”

“I should have told you what Bichette said to me the day she said it. But I figured I could work it out on my own. That’s not what it means to be in a relationship, and we can’t do that anymore. So let’s be a team. We’re so much better as a duo anyway.” 

Blaine smiled. “Pinky promise?” 

“Pinky promise. Ok, help me into the shower before Santana knocks down the door and tries to speed this up. And I don’t know about you, but I’m suddenly craving a massive burger."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you AGAIN for all the reviews and kudos. I saw that I have a couple bookmarks now, too. That is SERIOUSLY making my day. 
> 
> Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, requests etc. 
> 
> In the meantime have a great day, and I'll be back again with another update ASAP!


	10. Ooh, somebody loves you (anniversary part 1).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back with another chapter and another surprise. As promised, today tackles Blam's one-year anniversary. However, here's the surprise. Just like with prom, I decided to break this up into a couple smaller mini-chapters. The reason is that I think it would be *way* too long otherwise. So here is part one. I know there will be at least one more update for anniversary, but I may break it up into three if necessary. 
> 
> I'm sure you'll find out shortly after I do.
> 
> In the meantime, get ready to see what anniversary surprises Blaine has in store for Sam!

“Rise and shine, Sleepy Head. I’ve got to run, and I wanted to wish you a happy anniversary before I left.” 

It took Sam a moment to remember where he was when he opened his eyes. After the initial shock of waking up in an unfamiliar bed, he recognized Blaine’s childhood room with its slate gray walls and mahogany furniture. The space was a far cry from their more eclectically decorated bedroom in the city, but it’s clean lines and traditional style evoked some of his earliest memories of his boyfriend. 

It made the blonde realize just how much Blaine had come into himself since graduating. Sure, he still appreciated a good bow tie from time to time and wore the colorful, ridiculously tight pants that were practically his uniform. That was where the similarities ended. 

Blaine painted his nails now. Every few weeks a new color appeared on his fingers after a shift at the salon. Currently they were a cool gunmetal, which Sam particularly loved because they reminded him of something Nightbird would wear. He’d totally given up on hair gel and embraced his natural curls. The boy had even begun using makeup to accentuate his hazel eyes. Sam was amazed by how sexy he looked with a single swipe of gold eyeliner. 

Obviously Blaine had always been sexy; he just seemed freer now. More unencumbered by the expectations of others. Frankly, it was like he was living inside a never-ending Diva Week. Looking around the bedroom, Sam remembered the old Dalton blazer and sheen of hair gel. That uniform seemed like a prison in comparison. 

“Mornin’, gorgeous. Where are you headed?” He blearily smiled from within a cocoon of blankets. Sam stretched and yawned as he pushed his shaggy bangs out of his eyes. He’d grown his golden hair out so that it brushed his shoulders. Usually, he kept it contained in a sleek ponytail, but it had a mind of its own in the morning. 

“I wish we could spend the morning cuddling, and here you are leaving me alone. And on the day of our one-year anniversary,” he pouted.

He, Blaine and a collection of the New York New Directions had taken the train back to Lima for spring break last night. They’d agreed to stop by McKinley to help Mr. Schue work on a setlist for regionals, but Sam planned to spend most of the week catching up with friends and being lazy with Blaine. 

“Coach Sue… Well, Principal Sue now I guess, found out I was home for break somehow. And she didn’t ask as much as demand that Santana, Brittany and I lead the Cheerios morning workout.” Blaine rolled his eyes as he slipped into an oversized emerald hoodie. Sam recognized it as one of his own because of how it hung on the boy’s smaller frame. He felt a steady thrum of arousal build in his stomach.

“Any chance you can call off and spend the morning with me? You know I love you in my clothes, but right now I’d love to see you out of them.” Sam winked lewdly to drive the point home. Blaine replied with a weak laugh and a longing gaze. 

“I wish. But she threatened to release hounds in our houses if we didn’t accept her ‘offer.’ I swear, someone needs to explain to me how that woman is allowed to run a school. I have to hurry because the girls are picking me up. But I wanted to give you your first gift before I left.” 

Blaine ran out into the hallway and returned with a vase of red roses and baby’s breath.

“I wish I could have gotten you a rose to represent every time I think of you in a day, but there aren’t enough on the planet for that to be possible. Instead, I got one for each month we’ve been together. They remind me of the first flowers you ever got me.”

Sam remembered going to the florist and ordering Blaine's boutonniere for prom just under a year ago. He’d been so nervous that he’d pick something wrong. Worse, he worried the shop would refuse his business since he was buying for another guy. But the lady had kindly told him about the language of flowers and explained what the different flowers represented. When she said baby’s breath stood for eternal love, he knew it was the perfect representation of his relationship with Blaine. 

They were built to last forever. The way he saw it, this bouquet was proof. 

“They’re perfect, B. What do you mean though? This is just the first present?” 

“Shit!” Blaine jumped as he heard the blare of a horn. “That’ll be Santana. I’ve got to run before she breaks down the door. But I have a couple surprises for you planned throughout the day. I’ll give you a hint: The next one is at the Lima Bean with Kurt, Unique and Ryder. Take my car, Ok? Keys are on my desk. Have fun, and I’ll see you at Glee!”

Blaine leaned over and captured Sam’s lips in a quick kiss before running downstairs. Sam heard the horn again moments before he heard the front door open and close.

“Huh…” He crawled out of bed and headed toward the shower.

A half hour later, Sam pulled up to the Lima Bean and waved at Kurt and Unique who were waiting outside.

“What’s up Boo Thang. Unique is so excited to see you.” The girl swept Sam into her arms as he ran up to greet them. “And you are looking particularly fine this morning, Model Boy.” 

Sam blushed as he wholeheartedly returned the hug. After his disastrous start with Bichette, he’d had a lot more luck with the second agent that Isabelle recommended. He knew he could do even better in the industry if he had more time, but school seemed more important. Modeling was a passion project, but he knew it was one with an expiration date. Graphic design felt like a better guarantee. 

“Unique! It’s so good to see you, girl! And Kurt, it’s been a long time.” 

“Oh yes. It’s been far too long since we’ve seen each other, Sam. Can you believe we parted at the train station a full ten hours ago? And here we are again getting together for a coffee before this one has to get to McKinley to start the school day.” Kurt rolled his eyes. “But I’m so glad you’re here this morning. Not just because otherwise I’d be alone after Unique and Ryder leave. But also because we have a gift for you from Blaine.”

“Baby, think of it as the gift of song.” Unique snapped her fingers sassily as she and Kurt pulled Sam into the coffeeshop. Ryder appeared out of nowhere holding a bedazzled boom box. “Hit it.”

Sam smiled as he recognized the electrifying synths of Betty Who’s “Somebody Loves You.” Blaine had been obsessed with the song since they’d watched the flash mob engagement video for it last year. The lyrics took on a new meaning as Kurt and Unique belted them out and Ryder paraded around the shop like a glorified hype man.

“Somebody misses you when you’re away. They wanna wake up with you every day. Somebody wants to hear you say, ooh somebody loves you.” 

The audience in the Lima Bean broke into hesitant applause as the trio took a dramatic bow. 

“That was mind-blowing, guys. You said Blaine organized it?” Sam couldn’t contain a mega-watt smile on his face.

“Honey Child, Unique loves to perform. But she wouldn’t grace these people’s day with the gift of her voice without a good reason. Today that good reason happens to be your adorable man.”

Kurt handed Sam an envelope. “Blaine figured you may be confused, so he told me to give you this.” Sam opened it and read out the brief message.

Happy anniversary to the man that I love. 

I’m so glad I got to see you this morning, but I wish we could have spent more time together. I’ll be missing you when I’m away, so I asked a couple of our friends to help show you how much you mean to me. This was the first performance of many. Think of today as… a musical scavenger hunt. 

Where are you headed next? Here’s a hint: Greased Lightning found her wings here when you were rehearsing for Glease. Stop by now for a musical surprise from McKinley’s own Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson.

“Looks like we’re stopping by your dad’s garage in a bit, Kurt,” Sam realized. “But I know Marley and Jake won’t be there because they’re in school. I wonder who Danny and Sandy are…”

Kurt zipped his lips. “You’ll find out in good time. But first let’s grab a coffee. Blaine texted to let me know our mystery performers need at least another half hour to get ready. In the meantime, I think you should tell Unique and Ryder all about life outside the confines of small-town Ohio. I’m trying to convince them that they need to join us once they graduate. Come along, children. It’s story time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all of the reviews and kudos! You're all the best. I genuinely hope you're enjoying following along with this story.


	11. A musical scavenger hunt (anniversary part 2).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And just like that Blam's first anniversary has become a 3-chapter saga. Here's the second part, which includes all but the final serenade. Part 3 (coming as soon as I get it written) will include the final part of Blaine's gift and Sam's present.
> 
> In the meantime thank you again for hanging on for this ride. I hope you're enjoying it!

“Sam Evans, how the heck are ya?” Sam opened his arms just in time for Burt to catch him in a massive hug after walking into the garage. He jumped in surprise as someone else grabbed him from behind.

“Did you think I’d miss a chance to see one of my boys,” Carole asked as Sam pivoted around so the three of them could share an embrace. “Now step back and let me look at you.” 

The woman Sam thought of as a second mother smiled softly as she completed a head-to-toe inspection. “It looks like you’re doing well, honey. We miss you here though.” 

Kurt tapped his toes dramatically. “Obviously he’s doing well, Carole. Rachel, Santana and I generously taught our fellow Lima expats everything we know. Success was all but guaranteed under our wings. Now we’ll be collecting repayment from them for life.” 

“They did a pretty good job getting us set up. But Blaine and I miss seeing you,” Sam admitted. “We’d love to take you out for breakfast one morning before we head back. That way we can fill you in on everything.” 

Carole nodded. “That sounds wonderful. But right now I think it’s time for a musical number. So if you’ll follow Burt and I, we’ll take you to the stars of the hour.” The older woman grabbed Sam by the hand, and Kurt covered his eyes as they walked further into the garage. 

Sam gasped when Kurt pulled his hands back.

“Surprise,” Quinn shouted. She and Puck were sitting in the back of a vintage car. “I didn’t want to tell you in case it didn’t work out, but I moved heaven and hell to get here for spring break. That way Mr. Schue had another set of eyes for regionals prep. Tina, Mike and Mercedes promised to come back for the actual competition.” 

Tina opted to spend spring break with Mike in Chicago instead of joining the rest of the group in Lima. The duo had recently gotten back together, and Sam knew they were still working out a plan to handle the distance. They figured a week without outside interference from the notoriously nosy New Directions would be good. Meanwhile, Mercedes was deep in the process of recording her debut album. Apparently she’d had a writing session on the books that could not be moved.

“What’s up, bro.” Puck waved. He had his guitar in one hand and the other around Quinn’s arms. Of course, Blaine described them as a real-life Danny and Sandy; they fit the bill even better than Marley and Jake.

No matter how many times life tried to pull them apart, these two kept coming back to each other. Sam also knew firsthand how Puck had changed for the better to earn Quinn’s trust again. Just like Danny, he’d softened himself. Meanwhile, Quinn had taken on a bit more of an edge so that she could stand her ground. 

They even looked like they’d dressed for the part: Puck was wearing a leather jacket and Quinn had on a demure skirt and sweater-set. “Hope you’re ready for this one.”

It took Sam a moment to pick up the timeless melody, but he smiled as Puck strummed out an acoustic version of “You’re The One That I Want.” Quinn looked at her boyfriend lovingly as they crooned the lyrics.

“Yes I’m sure down deep inside. You’re the one that I want. Ooh. Ooh. Ooh, honey.” 

Sam ran up to kiss Quinn on the cheek after the final notes faded out to silence. “That was amazing!” 

Puck wrapped his arm around Sam’s neck and playfully rubbed his hair. “You know I wouldn’t miss a chance to play a love song for some of my favorite gays,” he joked. Sam didn’t even bother correcting him. Technically, he identified as bisexual, but Puck was Puck after all. 

“Now we’re supposed to give you this and come with to the next location.”

He handed over another envelope, which Sam excitedly ripped open.

Sammy,

I hope you already knew that you’re the only one I want in my life. If not, now you do. You knock me off my feet every day.

Where are you headed next? Well, we shared a game-changing kiss here. You made me feel like royalty, and your performers are going to share a number from the King of Pop. Who are they? I won’t name names, but you’ll be seeing another McKinley Titan and Cheerio… 

“So where are we headed?” Puck grinned knowingly. 

“Puck, Quinn, Kurt, it’s game time. We’re going to the football field, and we’re leaving now!” Sam waved goodbye to Carole and Burt before running out to the car. 

The blonde flashed back to graduation day as he and his friends walked onto the field. He remembered how good it felt to have made it through high school and ended with Blaine by his side. That’s why he couldn’t resist sweeping his boyfriend into a kiss. It was a moment of pride and pure joy. 

His eyes lit up as they settled on the next set of performers. “Blaine picked the best person to sing Michael Jackson,” Sam crowed at Artie. “And Kitty Cat. You need to come spend another weekend in New York with us. My man here misses you something wicked.” 

Sam knew how excited Artie had been at the prospect of spending time with his girlfriend this week. They were doing an incredible job making it work between New York and Ohio. Sam and Blaine were secretly impressed by them.

“Oh, hey Coach!” 

“Pumpkin! We need you out on the field this year,” Beiste said. “I swear these boys aren’t half as good without you calling the plays. Come sit up in the stands with me. These two recruited me to press play on the music.” 

“If it isn’t my favorite former stripper,” Kitty waved as she hopped off Artie’s lap and got into position. “We’re ready whenever you are.” 

After everyone got settled, Beiste pressed play and Sam jumped in surprise as the timeless beats of Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” blasted from the overhead speakers. 

“Kitty demanded mics so that everyone in the building would hear,” Quinn explained as they started singing. “I swear that girl is almost as big of a diva as Rachel.” Sam nodded before directing his attention back to the field where the Cheerio was executing effortless flips while delivering pitch-perfect vocals.

“I’ve never felt so in love before. Just promise baby, you’ll love me forever more. I swear I’m keeping you satisfied. ‘Cause you’re the one for me. The way you make me feel.”

Sam jumped down from the bleachers after they finished. Kitty ended sitting in Artie’s lap, so it was easy to sweep them both into a grateful hug.

“That was incredible, guys. I’ve never heard that as a duet before.” 

Kitty rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised? I’ll have you know that Britney Spears performed it with the King back when we were all babies.”

“Yeah, man.” Kurt added. “Now you have this King and Queen doing it big for you. Here’s your next clue, by the way.” Sam grabbed another envelope.

Blonde Chameleon,

I can’t find the words to tell you exactly how it feels to be with you. MJ came pretty close though. 

Where to now? You’ll find your next performance where we were crowned royal couple. I hope you’ll recognize the song and performers from that night, too. 

“We’re off to the gym, guys.” 

Coach Beiste led the way up and explained that Blaine had recruited her to keep Principal Sue in control. “That lady is wilder than a bull who just saw red. But don’t worry, I’m going to cause a distraction on the other side of the school so she doesn’t ruin anything. You enjoy the rest of your performances now, Pumpkin. And come visit me this week.” 

Everyone waved as she lumbered off toward the principal’s office. After she rounded a corner, they headed for the gym. Sam’s eyes lit up as they settled on Jake and Marley. 

“If it isn’t the man who sang our first dance as royal couple and his incredible girlfriend who helped sing our first ever slow dance. I’ve missed you guys,” Sam fist-bumped Jake and picked up Marley before executing a tight spin. “I already know what you’re singing and cannot wait to hear it.” 

Marley shyly directed Sam to stand exactly where he and Blaine had danced that night. Then she ran back and stood with Jake in front of a shared microphone. Puck snuck behind them and played guitar as they sang Sam Smith’s “Latch.” 

“You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down. You, you enchant me even when you’re not around. If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down. I’m latching on, babe. Now I know what I have found.”

The whole time they sang, Sam recalled the euphoria of being with Blaine at prom. The rush he’d felt when he’d first seen Blaine in his tux, the surprise of winning prom court and the perfection of their first time later that night. 

“Prom was unforgettable,” he said. “Thank you guys so much reminding me of that moment.” 

“It was our pleasure,” Marley said as Jake pulled another envelope out of his pocket. 

Sam Evans,

I’ve latched on to you, and I’ll never let go. Every day I recognize how lucky I am to call you mine. There’s only one more performance to go before we’re together again. 

Where will you find it? Here’s a hint: Our relationship became public here, and this couple helped make it happen. 

Sam didn’t say anything. He just turned toward the auditorium. He knew Santana technically found him and Blaine in a closet backstage, but that hadn’t exactly counted as their official unveiling. After all, the entire glee club had already known… 

No. Sam and Blaine became official when Sam kissed his boyfriend after they won regionals. And he knew exactly who he’d find on the stage.

“I’m so glad you could make it, Trouty,” Santana grinned wildly. “It’s about damn time you came to see your Relationship Fairy Godmother.” 

“Yes, we’ve already spent the morning giving each other a bunch of lady kisses up here. My tongue is getting tired,” Brittany added from where she sat on a stool. 

“Straight up exhausted,” Santana added. “Ironically, it’s the only straight any of us are. Luckily we aren’t too tired to put on a show. And you’d best consider yourself lucky, Guppy Boy. I wanted to debut a new version of ‘Trouty Mouth.’ Your overly excited thoroughbred of a boyfriend strictly forbade it because he doesn’t believe in letting me have any fun. However, he did agree to let Britts and I sing one of our special songs for you.”

Sam made himself comfortable in a seat as Santana called the band out. “Pretend they aren’t even here,” the girl said. “That’s what I always did in the choir room.” 

Santana’s joking tone changed as she grabbed Brittany’s hands in her own. Together they broke into a soulful version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird.”

“And the songbirds are singing like they know the score. And I love you, I love you, I love you like never before.”

There were tears in Sam’s eyes before the song finished. Once it was over, he jumped up and broke into applause. 

“I’m so happy you didn’t sing ‘Trouty Mouth,’ Santana. Seriously though, thank you so much for sharing that with me. It was beautiful.”

“Yeah, yeah. You and Blaine do make up the second-best glee couple so this was the least we could do. Britt has your last clue, and she kept it somewhere extra safe.” The blonde pulled it out of her bra and handed it over.

My Love,

I promise you eternal care. Now I have one last performance for you.

Come and find me in the spot where our relationship first started in every way. This is where I met you. This is where I learned you loved me. This is where we grew and changed and learned how to be ourselves. This is where we became a teenage dream. I know you know where I am. I’m waiting for you. I love you, I love you, I love you like never before. 

Sam knew exactly where he and his friends were headed next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you ALL for the comments and kudos. Please feel free to leave any advice, critiques or story recommendations. 
> 
> Next up is the final part of anniversary. I have ideas for what comes after that but would love to hear if you have any hopes/wishes/desires that I can possibly make come true.


	12. Teenage dreams and promise rings (anniversary part 3).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And that's a wrap (officially) on the saga of these boy's first anniversary. This whole segment ended up being a lot longer than I'd originally expected. It was also a lot harder to write. But I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> Question for anyone who is reading. Do you like these 3-part segments in the story? I won't do them all the time, but I do kind of like the opportunity to show more of what's going on and introduce a couple other characters. Let me know what you think and keep an eye peeled for my next update. I'll mention plans in the note below!

“There you are.” Blaine smiled radiantly from behind the piano as Sam raced into the choir room. The dark-haired boy watched as their friends quietly filed in and grabbed seats amongst the ranks of the New Directions. “Thank you all so much for getting him here.” 

Kurt was last to come through the door, and he pulled it closed with a definitive snap. 

“I’m so happy that I get to actually be in the audience this time,” he announced while running to sit beside Unique. He pulled out his phone and FaceTimed Rachel who was stuck in New York for Funny Girl rehearsals. Artie called Tina and Mike while Quinn got Mercedes on the line. Finn’s plaque hung on the wall. The gang was officially present and accounted for. 

“A year ago today, I was on the other side of this door praying these two lovable, oblivious idiots could find a way to make it work. And, oh my Gaga: Look at them now. Somehow they did it.” 

Blaine blushed hearing his ex’s recounting. No questions asked, he owed Kurt a never-ending debt of gratitude for turning down his marriage proposal. Even more, he owed him for somehow seeing what Blaine missed – that Sam loved him. For now, he pushed those thoughts aside and refocused.

Sam stood with an awestruck look on his face, and Blaine took a moment to appreciate it. He could see how hard the boy was breathing after running from the auditorium. There was a glean of sweat on his brow, and his hair was adorably disheveled. His voice shook as he spoke. “Hi, Blaine. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” 

Seeing him in the choir room brought back countless memories. Blaine’s mind flashed through performances they’d shared in this spot as their relationship evolved. They started as enemies of sorts, but that was hardly a blip on the radar now. Because what mattered was that Sam had been a friend when Blaine needed one. 

He’d been the best friend Blaine could ever ask for, as far as he was concerned. Then things changed. The boy in his memories was so different from the one that stood in front of him now. 

Sam had grown up. There was a certain refinement to his style for starters. He still favored the flannels and basic tees that made up his standard uniform, but the fit and quality had vastly improved. More importantly, Blaine noticed something different in the way he carried himself. He exuded a steady self-assurance that wasn’t there before. The blonde didn’t spend as much time second-guessing how awesome he was. It was like he finally saw himself the way Blaine did: As someone worth loving simply for being himself. That was all Blaine ever wanted for him. 

Now he had to tell him exactly how he felt. No pressure or anything. 

“You're here now, and that’s all that matters. I’m so happy we’re spending our anniversary in Lima this year. We’re making a life for ourselves in New York, and I’m damn proud of what we’ve accomplished. But this is where we started. And being here now makes it clear just how far we’ve come.” Blaine blinked back tears as he spoke, but his voice was steady.

“I used to sit next to you in this room and know I had the best possible friend by my side. You were everything I ever needed. You helped me become a better version of myself. You fixed my broken heart and reminded me that I was more than my mistakes. That I still deserved love. You saved me in so many ways, Sam Evans.” 

Santana jumped up and pushed a chair underneath Sam who had started shaking a little. He lowered himself into the seat with a look of gratitude. The girl grabbed her friend’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze before she ran back to her own seat and cuddled into Brittany’s shoulder. She subtly shot Blaine a thumbs up that was offset by her dramatic eyeroll. 

“So really, it’s not surprising I started to fall in love with you. Then I’d sit in the chair next to you and wonder if you knew how I felt. I’d dream that one day you'd feel the same way. Well, I got really lucky somehow. I’ll never forget the look in your eyes when Kurt pushed me through that door last year. You were so surprised. I couldn’t figure out why. Then it all made sense.”

He played with the keys of the piano as spoke. The instrument’s dulcet tones added extra dimension and slowly resolved into the beginnings of a song.

“We’re good together. I always thought we would be, but this is better than I imagined. It’s special. I asked some of our friends to help me express how much you mean to me. They did an amazing job, but there’s one more song I need to sing. You’ve already sung it, so I recognize that this is cheating in a way. But it describes us perfectly.” 

As Blaine finished, he directed his attention fully to the piano. That’s when the wistful, dreamlike melody of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” emerged from the mix of sounds. He started singing, and everyone held their breath as the lyrics poured out.

“Before you met me I was alright, but things were kind of heavy. You brought me back to life. Now every February, you’ll be my Valentine.” Blaine put emphasis on the chorus. “You make me feel like I’m living a teenage dream the way you turn me on. I can’t sleep, let’s run away and don’t ever look back.”

“I’mma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans, be your teenage dream tonight. I’ll let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans. I’ll be your teenage dream tonight.” 

There was a moment of audible silence as the final notes faded out. But it was interrupted as Sam threw himself out of his chair and flew into Blaine’s arms. Their friends proceeded to break into applause.

“Yay, Blaine Warbler,” Brittany stood to lead the cheer. “This is Unicorn Rights if I’ve ever seen them.”

Sam laughed into a kiss as he listened to other catcalls from the group. “Ok, that was seriously the best gift of all time. I cannot believe you pulled it off.” He turned to look at the New Directions. “And thank you to every single one of you who helped make this possible.” 

“We love you guys,” Rachel screamed while frantically waving her arms on the screen of Kurt’s phone. “Come back soon because I’m lonely on my own.” She waved to everyone else before signing off. Mike, Tina and Mercedes did the same. 

Blaine pulled Sam closer for a moment. He basked in the glory of holding his man as their friends cheered them on. Then he looked up as Mr. Schue strode to the front of the room.

“Ok, guys. That was fantastic, but I think we need to turn our attention to regionals prep. Here’s what we’re going to do…” Blaine and Sam grabbed seats as their old teacher took up his spot at the white board. 

“You know I have a present for you, too. Right?” Sam looked concerned as Blaine leaned closer. “I don’t think I’ll compete with what you pulled off, but I have plans. Can you hang out with Brittany after practice so Santana can help me finish getting everything together?” 

Blaine grabbed his boyfriend’s hand. “I know I should say something about how the gift of your companionship is enough for me, and it is. Obviously. But I'm also really curious about what you've got planned.” 

The boys vaguely paid attention as Mr. Schue laid out a plan for practice and began assigning tasks. Two hours later they walked out of the choir room surrounded by friends.

“It’s so weird being in there as a supervisor instead of a student,” Blaine admitted as they headed toward the parking lot. “But I kind of liked it. There was less pressure for sure.” 

Sam nodded. “No joke. Marley looked like she was about to scream in there. I can’t believe they’re doing original songs again. I hope Mr. Schue gives her a break for nationals because it has to be hard to come up with songs at the drop of a hat.”

Blaine agreed and looked surprised when Sam handed over his car keys. “I’m heading back to your house with Santana. You still good driving Brittany? You know she’s not technically supposed to get behind the wheel unless absolutely necessary.” 

“That’s putting it lightly,” Blaine shuddered thinking about the last time he’d driven with Brittany. The former Cheerio mixed up the colors on the traffic light three times and nearly veered off the road when she got distracted by a squirrel. It was horrifying and not something he ever intended to repeat. “But sure. Want to grab a coffee, Britt?” 

He couldn’t resist grinning as the girl jumped into his front seat. Brittany’s energy was seemingly endless and was always contagious. “This is going to be so much fun, Blaine Warbler. Plus, I have a secret I want to tell you. The only other person who knows right now is Lord Tubbington. You have to pinky promise not to tell anyone. Except for Sam, I guess. It’s illegal to keep secrets from the person you love. I tell Santana everything.”

“Cross my heart,” Blaine assured her as he started the car and waved goodbye to his boyfriend. 

Of course, the girl was too distracted in the car. She’d apparently set up a cat camera back in the apartment and spent the whole ride filling Blaine in on how her cat had a lady friend over last night. It wasn’t until they sat down in a pair of armchairs at the coffee shop that she was ready. Then the secret spilled out in a burst of excitement. 

“I’m asking Santana to marry me!” Blaine’s mouth dropped open in shock as he searched for something to say. Brittany meanwhile continued speaking into the silence. “That way we can be together forever and share lady kisses until we’re old. Then they’ll be old lady kisses, which are the same except without real teeth.”

The blonde sipped her sugary drink and sighed dreamily. Blaine thought about what that meant for his friends. Sure, they were young – way younger than he wanted to be when he finally married Sam – but he knew it would work out. And he was touched that Brittany chose him to confide in.

“That’s such exciting news! I’m happy for you, Brittany. Really happy. Can I ask why you’re telling me and not someone else, though?” 

“Well, it’s customary for a unicorn to bless a perfect union, and I was hoping you’d do that for me, Blaine Warbler. Kurt is the only other unicorn I know, and he’s a little scary sometimes. Then there’s Sam, but he’s only half a unicorn since he’s bi like me.”

As unconventional as Brittany’s thought process was, it always made sense in a strange way. This was no exception. 

Time flew by as the pair talked about the best way to ask Santana and began dreaming of the eventual wedding. Brittany looked down at her phone after they’d made plans to go looking for a ring once they got back to the city. “Santana just texted me. She says they’re ready.” 

Blaine was surprised by how dark it had gotten while they’d been inside the coffee shop. The stars were popping up across the dusky sky as they headed to Blaine’s. Once they got there, he grabbed Brittany’s hand again before she could exit the car. 

“I promise your secret is safe, Britt. I can’t wait to help you. And thank you again for today.” He felt a flush of love as the blonde gently kissed him on the cheek. Next thing he knew she was outside his door and holding his hand to lead him into the house. 

Blaine was confused as they walked through the garage door. It was oddly quiet. He jumped in surprise as a pair of hands wrapped around his eyes. “Just keep walking, Blaine Warbler. I know where we’re going.” 

She guided him through the house, and he shivered as he felt a chill that announced they were outside again. The cold disappeared as they walked a little further, and his body was enveloped in a toasty heat. 

“You can uncover his eyes, Brittany.” Blaine relaxed as he heard his boyfriend’s voice. He blinked quickly as the hands disappeared, and his vision came back. 

“Oh my god.” 

Blaine didn’t know what else to say. Sam had pulled his parent’s patio furniture out of storage. There were plates on the table, which was set with a stark, white tablecloth and Sam’s flowers from this morning. Fairy lights twinkled and added a dreamy ambiance to the atmosphere. Sam found the outdoor heaters, which helped keep back the frosty chill in the Ohio air. 

Then his eyes settled on his boyfriend who had changed. Sam had been adorably rumpled before. Now he was wearing a crisply pressed suit complete with one of Blaine’s favorite bowties. Sam waved with a smile on his face. 

“Happy anniversary, baby.” Blaine let out a gasp of shock as the boy knelt down on the ground and pulled out a ring box. 

“Don’t worry,” he assured with a conspiratorial grin. “I’m not proposing. I want to make that very clear since I already made that mistake with Quinn and Brittany, too I guess. And you had your moment with Kurt. We’re not ready yet, but we will be one day. Think of this as a promise.” 

“Blaine Anderson, I promise to love you for the rest of our lives. I vow to be by your side whenever you need me. I swear you’ll always be on my mind. This is a symbol of how much you mean to me.”

Blaine’s hands shook as he accepted the plush box and opened it. Inside a roughly hewn silver ring sparkled in the dim light. A pale pink crystal was set between two shining blue stones in the middle. 

“I asked Debbie from the salon for advice,” Sam explained. “She said rose quartz is the crystal for love. The blue stones are aquamarine, and they’re supposed to be good for communication, which is important. She tried to talk me into buying you a 27-pound, heart-shaped crystal. Seriously, that woman knows her way around a gem auction, and she’s very convincing. It’s kind of scary. But I thought you’d like this more. Try it on. I want to see if it fits. If not they can resize it.”

Blaine took the ring out and slipped it onto his finger where it fit perfectly. “It's beautiful,” he gasped as he held it out for inspection. 

“You two are so cute it is making me sick.” Blaine and Sam jumped as Santana spoke behind them. “Britts and I are going to head out, but you two have a gay old time.” 

With that they left the duo who sat down for dinner in companionable silence. 

Later that night Blaine remembered Brittany’s good news and that he had permission to tell Sam. “Want to hear a secret? I had to pinky promise Brittany that I wouldn’t tell anyone but you because she said it wasn’t legal to make me keep secrets from someone I loved. Brittany is going to ask Santana to marry her. Can you believe it?”

Sam let out a sweet laugh as the news settled. “You’re kidding?! Santana told me that she was going to ask Brittany. Rachel and I are helping her pick out a ring when we get back.” 

“Huh? Imagine that. I guess we’ll be going to our first gay wedding soon.”

“Then one day we’ll have ours, too.” Blaine nodded with a dreamy look in his eyes. He pulled Sam closer as they sat outside and watched the stars dance in the sky. 

“You’re right. But right now, this is more than enough for me,” he said before kissing his boyfriend sweetly on the lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for reading and commenting on this story. I cannot believe that I'm closing in on 500 hits in under a month. This whole process has been a whirlwind, but I'm loving it. 
> 
> Please don't forget to make any requests and tell me what you think. I love positive feedback, but I also love a good critique. And I promise I can handle that.
> 
> Next up I'm planning on doing a segment centered around Halloween 2014. I figure that's enough time into the future for our boys to have some things going on.
> 
> Per usual if you have any other requests let me know! Otherwise I have some ideas of my own moving forward.


	13. Halloween and a change in direction.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I'm back again. Like I mentioned in my last update, today's chapter happens around Halloween of 2014. Of course, the New Directions are celebrating in style. However, Blaine is working his way through some personal problems. Of course in true Blaine Anderson style, he internalizes a lot of it until Sam brings him out of his shell. What does that entail? Well, read on to find out.
> 
> This is easily my longest chapter to date. I probably could have cut some of it out, but I was having so much fun putting everyone in costumes and giving them all stories. I promise that my next update (more on that in the notes below) will be significantly shorter and will be more focused on BLAM as a couple.

“I just need my shield, and I’m golden. We’re totally going to have the best costumes at the party.” Sam practiced his superhero pose in front of the floor-length mirror in their bedroom. He and Blaine planned their looks after the midnight premiere of Captain America Winter Soldier in the spring, and they were finally getting to wear them.

With his long hair slicked back in a classic style, Sam was doing his best to channel Steve Rogers. He’d splurged on his costume and felt like a certified badass. His boyfriend meanwhile was dressed as the Winter Soldier, and he looked incredibly sexy in skin-tight, black tactical gear. 

Blaine straightened his hair to match Bucky’s and darkened his eyes with dramatic shadows. Sam knew he was going to have a hard time keeping his hands to himself during the party, but Santana would murder him if they disappeared again.

Who could blame a guy for wanting some private time with his beautiful boyfriend? Only Santana apparently. He smirked remembering what had happened when their friend stormed into their bedroom during the last party. Blaine had gone red with embarrassment, but he'd found the girl's reaction hysterical. Shaking his head, he refocused.

“What do you think, Blaine?” He waved his hand in front of the boy’s face and got no response. “Earth to Blaine. Babe… Where is your mind right now?” 

Sam gently shook his shoulder and watched in confusion as his partner jumped in surprise. Blaine had been doing that a lot lately. It probably didn’t help that he tossed and turned in bed every night and clearly wasn’t getting sleep. Sam knew something was wrong, but every time he tried to start a conversation the boy made an excuse and ran off.

“Sorry, Sammy. I was just thinking about what we still had to do for tonight. You look incredible. Chris Evans wishes he filled out the costume that well. I’ve got to run and ask Tina a question, but I’ll see you in a bit.” Blaine absent-mindedly kissed Sam on the cheek and made an exit. 

“Well, I guess now isn’t the right moment for that conversation anyway,” Sam muttered. He followed Blaine out of the room and walked into utter madness. The living room was even more crowded than usual because they had out-of-town guests.

“I do not understand why you nerds are making me wear this,” Kitty whined as she adjusted a sleek pencil skirt. “Why couldn’t I have dressed up with the other girls? Not you, Tina. Don’t even get me started.” 

Tina, who was sitting in the living room dressed as Black Widow in a body suit and a dark red wig, merely stuck up her middle finger. She’d learned long ago that it wasn’t worth engaging with Kitty when she was in a mood. However, some people had not gotten the memo.

“Have you ever heard of a group costume, Kitty Cat,” Puck purred as he walked out of the bathroom. He picked up his hammer from where he’d set it and gave it a massive practice swing. Sam already knew he’d have to take it away later or else something would be broken. 

“Everyone who is staying in this apartment for the weekend is dressing up as a hero from the Avengers. Except for Quinn because Santana claimed her for an Unholy Trinity group costume, and no one wanted to tell her no. You’re the best damn Pepper Potts this town has ever seen so stop complaining and start having fun.”

Kitty looked ready to pounce on the elder Puckerman brother. Thankfully, Artie cut her off before she gathered the required momentum. And he was in full damage control mode. “Babe, you’re basically the smartest Avenger. Pepper calls all the shots because she’s with Iron Man. And Tony Stark is obviously the coolest in the bunch, which is why I got to be him.” 

Artie had tricked out his wheelchair to look like the Iron Man suit. Sam had to admit that the final result was awesome. He’d be jealous if his own costume wasn’t obviously the best. 

“Whatever. I swear you’re one geekier than the next. The only ones who make any sense to me are Blaine and Sam, and that’s just because even I know Captain America and Bucky are gay for each other.” 

“Hear, hear,” Sam shouted as he tried to make eye contact with Blaine who had settled next to Tina on the couch. Their discussion about how Bucky and Cap made a great couple was what inspired their costume choice, after all. When his attempts failed, he sighed and beckoned for the Cheerio to join him. “Kitty, come help me finish up the punch?”

On the way to the kitchen, they passed several other friends. Sam chuckled when he saw Ryder standing in front of a fan in an attempt to dry the green paint that covered his body. Jake, who was dressed as Sam Wilson, offered a salute from where he stood holding the fan and sipping a beer. Marley – dressed as Katniss Everdeen, the only hero she knew – and Mike – Hawkeye – were divvying up a share of arrows. 

Mike had moved into the apartment at the start of the school year. He and Tina decided it was better for them to be closer together, and Mike managed to secure a spot in New York University’s prestigious dance program which made that possible. 

Marley, Jake and Ryder meanwhile tagged along with Kitty to spend the weekend. They were camping out in the living room since Puck and Quinn claimed the spare bedroom. Puck made a fair case that they wouldn’t be able to make it across town after a couple hours of drinking. It was nice to have everyone around, but things were definitely chaotic.

Sam turned his attention back to Kitty as they poured cheap vodka into a bucket. The blonde plugged her nose and pretending to gag as the liquid slushed around. Sure, it wasn’t the classiest option, but they were a bunch of college students on a budget. It wasn’t like anyone should be drinking top shelf liquor when this would do the job. 

“Something is up with Blaine. Have you noticed anything?” The question popped out of Sam’s mouth before he even thought about it. However, he was glad he asked. Kitty may be venomous, but she was also perceptive. 

She looked thoughtful for a second. “I don’t know why you’re asking me, Captain Big Lips. But now that you mention it, he’s seemed a little out of it since we got here. But Frodo and I haven’t had a chance to trade secrets while braiding each other’s hair yet. Try talking to him… Or ask Tina. That girl is still oddly obsessed with her Blainey Days.” 

She had a point. Tina may know something. 

“Hey, where are you going?! We’re not finished here.” Kitty flipped a cap at Sam’s head, but the boy didn’t notice. “I swear to god, these people are helpless. I don’t know why we’re friends.” She helped herself to a shot straight out of the bottle and watched Sam unceremoniously grab Tina and pull her away from Blaine. “Real subtle there, Sam.”

Sam heard a knock on their door that signified the party was officially starting. But his attention was focused on Tina. He’d made some excuse about needing help with his shield and dragged her away before she could comment. He let go of her hand once they reached her bedroom.

“Last time I checked, you weren’t storing your shield in here, Sam. In fact, I’m pretty sure we walked past it in the hallway. So why don’t you tell me what you really need.” Tina slipped a flask out of her impossibly tight costume and took a sip.

“Woah, how’d you even get that in there? I’m impressed. Ok, please don’t make those eyes at me, dude. You know they make me nervous. I wanted to talk to you because I think something is up with Blaine. He’s been withdrawing lately, and he hasn’t told me anything. I figured maybe he’d share something with his best friend.” Sam purposefully laid it on a little heavy. 

“I think you’re right,” Tina sighed heavily. “Blaine has definitely been off. I keep trying to get him to open up, but he’s not talking. I kind of figured that maybe he was talking to you. But now that I think about it, this is peak Blaine Anderson.” 

Sam nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I’ll try and get him to open up later. Maybe he’ll be more willing after a couple drinks. In the meantime, let’s get out there before Puck breaks anything. We really can’t afford to replace another frame tomorrow.” 

Tina grabbed his arm as he opened the door. “Don’t feel too bad about this, Sam. I can see you’re beating yourself up, but this is just how Blaine works. You know he doesn’t like to ‘bother’ anyone, so he internalizes his problems. You’ll figure it out.” 

In the time they’d been hiding out, the apartment filled with people. Sam’s eyes widened as he saw some of their other friends in their costumes. Rachel, Kurt and Adam had gone for a Frozen theme with Rachel channeling Elsa and Kurt a gender-swapped Anna. 

Adam dressed up as Kristoff and watched with an indulgent smile as the other two performed what had to be the strangest rendition of “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman” on a makeshift stage. Rachel refused to have parties without karaoke, and Sam knew she’d be up there most of the night.

Meanwhile he sensed trouble brewing as Puck approached one of Blaine’s work friends who was dressed as Wonder Woman. “Woah. Who let Wonder Woman into the party? You’re in the wrong universe, ma’am.” He laughed while giving the woman a once over. 

“Oh, Tina. I’ve got to go and save Puck from himself.” Sam ran off as the woman glared at his friend.

“I came with the self-described feisty fairy over there, Thor.” She pointed toward a barefoot woman in gossamer wings whom Sam recognized as Debbie. “Anyway, I go where I want.” 

She snapped the lasso of truth and turned to join her friend but stopped when she saw Sam heading their way. “Oh, hey Sam. You know this fool?” 

Sam smacked Puck upside the head. “Dude, this is Blaine’s friend Katie from work.” He made introductions and smiled as the two traded a couple barbs. Since she was there, he figured it couldn’t hurt to ask if she’d noticed anything about Blaine. 

“Nu-oh. That is not how this works, Sammy Boy. If you think something is going on with your man, you talk to him yourself. It’s not my place to share his secrets.”

Sam had to respect that. “You’re right. I’ll try.”

“Love that journey for you,” Katie said as she walked off.

Puck bowed down respectfully to her retreating figure. “I like her.” 

“Yeah. She’s been really cool with Blaine. They take a yoga class together every week. He looks so sexy after that I’m thinking about going to watch one day. Speaking of sexy, don’t look now, but the Unholy Trinity has entered the building.”

Sam had to applaud as Santana, Brittany and Quinn strutted over. 

“It’s Ma-don-a and Britney, bitch,” Brittany shouted as they struck a pose. She jumped when Quinn poked her on the arm. “Oh yeah, Xtina is here, too.” The trio were dressed up as Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera from the VMAs. Brittany and Quinn wore scraps of white lace while Santana looked stunning in a tailored suit complete with a top hat.

“Holy shit,” Puck whispered. Sam had to agree.

“You guys really outdid yourself. Is this a sample of your wedding dress, Britt? If so… let me be the first to say wow. And Santana, you look capital-H Hot in a suit.” The duo had adorably pulled off simultaneous proposals shortly after spring break and were planning on getting married back in Ohio during the coming summer. 

“I hadn’t thought about that before, Trouty. Thanks for reminding me that I keep you around to be more than just a potential crash-landing pad with those lips of yours.” Santana blew him a kiss, and Sam decided to ask her about Blaine. He knew that the two of them talked all the time. She rolled her eyes as he asked his question for the fourth time in less than two hours.

“Ask him yourself, you precious, guppy-mouthed fool.” Santana made eye contact with Blaine who was walking by and pushed Sam into his arms. “Speak now or forever hold your peace boys. Now c’mon ladies. This queen’s work is done for the night, and she’s earned a drink. Nice costumes, by the way,” she shouted over her shoulder. 

Blaine smiled awkwardly as he caught the taller boy. “Nice of you to drop in, Captain America. I’ve been trying to hunt you down since the party started. It must have been hard for Tina to help you with your shield considering you left it outside her room when you pulled her in.” The boy held it up in his hand showing Sam just how busted he was. “So what was that actually about?” 

“Now or never, Evans,” Sam thought. Blaine had a slight flush to his face already and was holding a plastic glass of punch. Sam wondered if it was his first drink of the night and fought off the temptation to steal the cup for a bit of liquid courage. “No. One of us should be sober for this,” he figured.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and looked deep into his eyes. “B, I know something is up. Can we please talk about it? Remember what you told me when mini-bitch had me all messed up. Whatever we’re going through, we handle as a team. That doesn’t just apply to my issues. It’s yours, too.” 

Sam expected the boy to make up an excuse and redirect the conversation. He was surprised when Blaine’s hazel eyes filled with tears.

“You’re right. Something’s been going on, and I haven’t wanted to talk about it, Sammy. But I’m freaking out, and I need you to calm me down.”

Sam pulled him in to a tight embrace. “Hey, it’s alright, babe. Don’t cry. Whatever it is, we’ll work it out. Just talk to me.”

He felt Blaine nod against his chest. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life anymore. Every day I go to NYADA and watch Tina, Kurt and Rachel. They’re made for the stage. Even Unique is killing it, and she’s only been here two months. I always thought Broadway was it for me, but I don’t want it the same way they do. I’m scared because I don’t know what is right, and I’m worried I won’t be good enough no matter what I choose.”

“I know it’s silly,” Blaine whispered. “But I look at you and everyone else and see how great you’re doing. I just don’t want to get left behind.”

Sam grabbed Blaine by the hand and pulled him into their bedroom. Once the door was shut, he directed his boyfriend to sit on the side of the bed and knelt down between his legs so they were at eye level.

“Is that it, Blaine? Honey, don’t worry about that. You don’t need the answers to everything. We’re young, and we’re supposed to be figuring it out still. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you that I’m not sure about my future, either. Want to know a secret?”

Blaine nodded weakly. He looked less wrecked than he had in the living room. But it still hurt Sam to see him sad like this. He was used to his boyfriend’s unshakable confidence, but he forgot sometimes that it could be an act. 

“I’ve been thinking about switching concentrations at Pratt. It turns out that I’m less into graphic design and more into teaching. Actually, I was going to talk to you once I figured out how to change majors and see if you had any summer plans. Coach Beiste asked me to come down to Lima to help out with coaching. I was hoping you’d want to come with me.”

“Really, Sammy? You’d be a fantastic teacher,” Blaine’s face lit up with a grin. “And maybe that would be good for me? I love New York, but it would be nice to get away from the crowds for a bit. I feel like I think more clearly at home…” 

Sam pulled him in for a hug. “Ok. We’ll figure that out tomorrow. But just listen to me for a second? You are amazing, Blaine. No matter what you decide to do, you’ll be incredible at it. And NYADA isn’t only about Broadway. I’m sure there are people who go there to do different things. I know you’ve been loving your composition classes. Franky, they sound way cooler to me than the one you had to take last year about being a mime. Maybe focus more on that part of the program? Just remember you don't need to decide tonight. Take some time to think about what's right for you. Just know that I support you no matter what you choose.”

“You’re right, Sammy. I can talk to Madam Tibideaux next week. And I feel better for talking about this with you. Thank you for reminding me that I’m not alone." Blaine took a steadying breath and regathered himself. Sam grinned as he saw his confident boyfriend reemerging. "Let’s get back out there and have some fun.” 

Before they could even get to the door, it burst open and Santana walked in with her hands over her eyes.

“I’m not sure what is going on in here, but I wanted to protect myself just in case it was dirty. Again. But you two need to get your fine asses out here. You somehow won the costume contest even though no one saw you together during the party. Clearly they’re blind because the award should have gone to the Unholy Trinity, but I can’t fault you for their failings. So get your asses in gear.” 

Sam looked at Blaine to make sure he was feeling better before picking up his boyfriend bridal style and walking to the door. He kissed Santana on the cheek as he walked past her.

“Better luck next time, Tana. Now if you’ll excuse us, I’m taking my man to collect our prize.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the reviews and comments. They truly make my day and inspire me to keep writing. I have a lot of plans moving forward, but I'd love to hear any advice or critiques that you have. I'm a writer by trade, but I've never handled fiction like this before. So I'm always hoping for advice on how to get better.
> 
> Just a heads up for what's next. Blaine and Sam are heading back to Lima for the summer, and of course we'll see the Brittana wedding. But BEFORE that I'm taking a recommendation from the incredible AmyViolet. What does that mean? Well, BLAM is going to take a quick trip to Kentucky for a weekend with the Evans. It'll be a brief interlude, but I'm excited to bring them into the story finally.


	14. A weekend with the Evans.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I'm back. As promised today's update is all about a BLAM weekend at the Evans household. I originally wanted it to be short, but I ended up with a final product that is about the same length as a regular chapter. I'm OK with that for a couple reasons. Mainly because there are fewer characters so the writing is more focused. I'm pretty proud of this one, and I hope that the incredible AmyViolet also enjoys since she requested it!
> 
> Oh, where are we at on the timeline? It's the end of their sophomore year so... roughly May of 2015. And yes, in case anyone was curious, I spent a whole night trying to make sense of a timeline for this story back when I was settling on when BLAM's first anniversary would take place.
> 
> Let me know what you think and check out notes below for what to expect next!

“Oh my god, we’re here.” Blaine took a calming breath as he parked the car and surveyed the house they’d just pulled up in front of. The charming two-story boasted a wrap-around porch set up with several rocking chairs and a bright green front door. Vivacious gerbera daisies sprayed out of terracotta pots set alongside the steps. 

Sure, it wasn’t as grand as the house he grew up in. Nevertheless, Blaine was positive it was the picture of perfection in his mind. Everything about it exuded an easy grace and happiness. Even still, he couldn’t fight off a case of nerves as he prepared for the weekend ahead. 

It felt like mere hours ago that he and Sam had officially finished their sophomore year of college. Partly because it literally was only hours ago. Immediately after Blaine’s last exam, the duo raced to the train station and caught a ride back to Ohio. 

They spent a night with Blaine’s parents then hopped into his car and drove down to Kentucky to visit Sam’s family. That’s where Blaine’s anxiety came in… And of course, his boyfriend would pick up it. Ever since Halloween, Sam missed nothing.

“No way. Is the legendary Blaine Anderson – he of the perfect manners and breathtaking charm – nervous?” Sam gasped in dramatized shock as his boyfriend’s grip on the worn steering wheel tightened. 

It was all the confirmation he needed that he was freaking out, even if Sam couldn’t figure out why. “Blaine, you know my family, and we’ve all been together a thousand times. They love you. Sometimes I think Stacey even likes you more than me…” 

That was besides the point. Blaine forced himself to breathe as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. He stretched and fought off a yawn (it had been a long ride, after all) as they continued the conversation in whispered tones.

“Of course, she does. We talk about boys and eat late-night ice cream on Skype. What do you have to offer aside from being her older brother? Obviously I’m superior in the mind of a 14-year-old,” Blaine snorted. Even he could hear a mounting sense of hysteria in his voice, but there was no reining it in at this point. 

“It’s your parents I’m worried about. I’ve never stayed at their house before, Sammy. Especially not as the boyfriend of their son. Obviously they know we’re dating, but I want them to like me. And can they really like me if they think I spend all my free time defiling you?!”

Sam rolled his eyes. He adored Blaine but personally thought the other boy was blowing things a little out of proportion. 

“You’re too cute, B. As if anyone thinks you’re the one defiling me. I’m obviously the bad boy here. That’s beside the point because I’m sure you remember as well as I do that our parents know we share a bed. Seriously, my mom and dad adore you. Even before we dated, they told me that I needed to be more like you.”

He could tell Blaine was still anxious, and it was starting to confuse him. In an effort to fully calm him down, he decided to make a joke. “Frankly, B… I think my mom was relieved when we got together because it meant there was no chance I’d get back with Santana. Pretty sure she’s the only person we know who could actually defile me. Now there’s that laugh I love. It’s going to be fun this weekend, and we are sharing a bed. I insist.”

Momentarily quelled but refusing to let his defenses down, Blaine reached into the backseat to grab his overnight bag. He also picked up a neatly wrapped parcel. As much as Sam assured him that his parents did not expect anything, years of training taught him to always bring a gift for a host. 

Sam pulled him in for a light kiss as they walked up to the front door. Blaine breathed in the familiar, earthy smell of his boyfriend’s cologne. No matter how worked up he got, the scent inevitably calmed him down. It reminded him of home, whether they were in New York, Ohio or, apparently, Kentucky. 

“Here goes nothing,” Sam teased as he turned the handle and dramatically threw the door open. “Mom, Dad, Stacey, Stevie! We’re here.” The boys were caught up in a wave of hugs before they made it over the threshold. 

Mary Evans, casually dressed in an oversized sweater and with her blonde hair back in a loose ponytail, was the first to disengage. She stepped back and smiled warmly at the sight of her family all together under one roof. Yes, in her mind that included the single dark head of hair in the sea of blondes. And this weekend it was her goal to make sure Blaine realized how seriously she meant that. 

“Mrs. Evans,” Blaine walked up to her. “Thank you again for having me. Your home is lovely.”

“Blaine Anderson, how many times do I have to tell you it’s Mary. None of that Mr. and Mrs. Evans crap. And you are always welcome.” Mary put her hands on her hips in a mock show of frustration as she directed her eyes to the package in his hands. “I know you didn’t bring me a gift.” 

At least he boy had the good grace to look chagrined as he handed it over. Her son on the other hand rolled his eyes. Mary felt a thrill of joy go through her body as Sam threw his arm around Blaine’s shoulder and gently shook him. 

“Don’t worry, I told him not to, mom.” Sam grinned toothily. “But Blaine insisted it was the right thing to do. I’m trying really hard to teach him to lose the manners, but he’s slow on the uptake. Hey, dad! You know I’m kidding.”

Mary snorted as Dwight snuck up behind their son and smacked him upside the head. Satisfied that her husband had the situation in hand, she turned her attention back to the package. It was almost too perfect to ruin by opening it, but she knew that wasn’t the point of a gift. Ripping the rose gold paper aside, she opened a box and gasped as she unveiled a crystal vase.

“This is both unnecessary and gorgeous. Thank you so much, Blaine. I hope that as well as reminding my son of the manners I taught him you’re also imparting some style lessons,” she teased. “Now I’m going to go pick some flowers out back so we can put this on display. You two go on up to Sammy’s room and make yourself comfortable. We’ll catch up in a bit.”

Stevie and Stacey followed as they ambled upstairs and peppered the boys with questions. Blaine could hardly believe how grown up they seemed. In his mind he still pictured them as the adorable children he’d first met five years ago when he was dating Kurt. That was hardly the case.

At 16, Stevie looked like a perfect clone of his brother in high school. He kept his soft blonde hair shaggy, and a wave of bangs flopped over one of his bright green eyes. Stacey meanwhile shared her brothers’ features, but they were softer. Blaine knew from many phone calls that she could be a heartbreaker if she wasn’t a hopeless romantic just like he’d already been at her age. 

Blaine’s heart softened as they walked into Sam’s bedroom. Although he’d only spent a couple weekends at the house since his family moved in, the blonde had clearly made it his own. The walls were painted a friendly shade of blue and papered with posters and photographs. There was a queen-sized bed against one wall that was set up with soft gray sheets. A framed photo of Blaine and Sam from one of their competitions rested on the bedside table.

“Ok, as great as it is to see you both – and I promise we’re going to spend so much time together this weekend that you’ll be excited to see us leave – can I have a second with Blaine, squirts?” Blaine looked up in surprise as Sam shepherded the kids out of his bedroom and closed the door with a snap. “And no listening at the door,” he shouted and waited until he heard Stevie and Stacey’s footsteps on the stairs. 

The blonde redirected his attention toward Blaine. 

Anyone (especially Blaine at this point) would see the determined look on his face. “Now that we dealt with those two little nerds, we can keep talking. Why were you so freaked out about making a good impression here? And don’t tell me it’s just because we’re sharing a bed. I was thinking about it on the way up, and I remembered that you never had any problems with that at your parents’.” 

In fact, Blaine had been downright defiant when they’d spent the week at the Anderson’s for spring break last year. He glared his mother down for even suggesting that there was a spare room available for Sam. The blonde shuddered a little remembering the sound of Blaine slamming his bedroom door with them both on one side and his parents downstairs in the spacious living room after a stilted argument.

“It’s just different, Sam.” Blaine hoped his simple explanation would cut it. But one look at his boyfriend made it clear that he’d have to elaborate. “Trust me; it really is. I love my parents and Cooper. We all support each other and care about what is going on in our lives. We’re family. But you guys are different. You’re not just family, you are a family. You’re a unit. When one of you moves, the others adjust so you all stay in sync. I know my parents are proud of me, but I don’t think it’s the same. There’s more expectations that come with their love.” 

Now that he was talking, there was no stopping the words as they spilled out of his mouth. It felt good to speak so frankly. He and Sam promised to hold nothing back, and he was keeping his side of the promise. “That’s nothing like your family. You’ve given everything to take care of them. And I know they’ve done the same for you, even when it meant letting you go back to Lima. They made that sacrifice because they knew it made you happy. I just want to fit in here. I don’t want to do anything to disrupt what you have because it is special.” 

“Hey... Blaine we’ve never talked about your family like that before. We will be talking about it more at some point because I can see it hurts you, but let’s focus on this weekend first. I promise that my family loves you. I wasn’t kidding earlier. They love you simply for being you. But guess what? Based on your logic just now, they also love you because I love you. They see how happy I am. I guess that means you’re probably one of their favorite people on the planet.” Sam walked up to Blaine and gently pushed his head up so they could make eye contact.

He noted the dark-haired boy’s sweet expression. “So let’s go back downstairs, and you stop worrying. It’s not worth the wrinkles it’ll give your currently ageless skin. And if you plan on staying with me forever, you’re going to need to preserve that. You know I’ll settle for nothing but a trophy husband.” Sam tickled Blaine’s stomach and relaxed as he genuinely laughed. 

“For that alone I’m going to have three slices of dessert tonight. But thank you, Sammy. I don’t know how, but you always know what to say.” The duo walked downstairs and saw the rest of the Evans sprawled across the living room. 

Sam grabbed Blaine by the hand and led him over to sit next to his mom on a tasteful leather sectional. She smiled as Sam cozied up next to her.

“So what have you boys been up to?” Dwight asked from where he sat in his recliner. “How’d your semester finish up, Blaine?”

Blaine got comfortable before replying. “I think it went really well, Dwight. I switched my concentration at NYADA from the Broadway track to composition and have been working on my own music. I’ve put some stuff up on YouTube, and the feedback has been pretty good so far.”

He looked over in surprise as Sam snorted. “He’s totally being modest, dad. Blaine’s been killing it for months now. The last song he put on YouTube has, like, 200,000 hits. It’s fu… freaking incredible.” 

The blonde purposefully tried to correct his language before his mom noticed, but of course she picked up on where he was headed. He winced as she held out a hand and waited patiently until Sam pulled out his wallet and produced a dollar bill.

“We have a swear jar in this house, and since I see Sam here so rarely I count the intent of his words sometimes,” Mary said by way of explanation. There was a devilish grin on her face as she leaned over her son and stage-whispered. “Don’t worry, Blaine. We cycle the money back into a college fund for them. But it’s just so fun to watch them sweat.”

Blaine laughed effortlessly. He finally realized that maybe his boyfriend was being truthful about his family accepting him as one of their own. And he loved sitting in the midst of their bantering. There was no pressure to make anyone proud with impressive feats. The pride was there from the get-go. He knew that made the kids’ achievements so much easier in a way. 

After his initial hesitations, Blaine found that the weekend flew by in a blur. On the first night, he assisted Mary with dinner in the kitchen while Sam and Stacey set up shop with Dwight by the grill. Stevie set the table and helped with cleanup. After genuinely eating three slices of peach pie to tease his boyfriend, he spent the rest of the evening lying in Sam’s arms complaining about an upset stomach and insisting that it was worth it. 

There were countless laughs over the next two days. So many that Blaine was upset to find himself with his leather bag thrown over his shoulder again on Sunday evening. They’d extended their stay for one more dinner but had to get on the road because Sam was helping Coach Beiste the next morning. He had no qualms as he wrapped his arms around Mary for another hug. The woman already made them promise to come back as much as they could over the summer, and he hoped to take her up on the offer.

“Thanks again, Mrs… Mary. I loved spending time with your family and can’t wait until we can all get together again.” 

“Oh, and Blaine?” Mary smirked at the eternally polite young man as he looked her way. She noted that he’d taken the note about her name. As much as it obviously pained him to drop the manners, she appreciated the effort. And she was about to make it easier for him. 

“Enough of this Mary shit; I think you should just call me Mom now. And yes, I’ll drop a dollar into the swear jar, Samuel Christopher Evans. Don’t think I don’t see you rolling your eyes over there. But you have to admit it was worth it to see this adorable boy’s reaction, and I’m serious. Blaine is clearly part of your family, which means he’s part of ours, too.”

Blaine reached into his own wallet. 

“I’m going to give this to you preemptively,” he said before fishing out a dollar. “That sounds like a damn good plan to me, Mom.” 

Sam was still laughing about the exchange an hour into their ride back to Lima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for any comment you have left on my story so far. If you're considering writing one, I really do urge you to do so. They give me a burst of inspiration to keep going because it means so much to me that you care at all. Also remember that you can make plot requests. If it's something I can make happen, I promise that I'll give it a spin. 
> 
> What's next? The main focus of my next chapter will be the Brittana wedding. However, I also am hoping to write a small section that features Sam interacting with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. What could he have in store? You'll have to wait and see. I'd love to hear any guesses you have!
> 
> Just a heads up that my next update will likely be a couple days out. I start back at my job on Thursday after taking the last three weeks off for COVID exposure. That means writing will take a bit of a backseat as I try to readjust. Don't worry. I promise that I'll see this ALL THE WAY through. 
> 
> I do really mean all the way...


	15. A gay wedding is in the cards.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to get a chapter together. For some reason I really struggled with coming up for the perfect direction for Sam's conversation with the Andersons. It took a couple days to figure out how I wanted it to go. Then things were also busy with work. 
> 
> In the end I'm pretty happy with the direction this took. I hope you agree! Let me know if you agree after reading. And make sure to check the A/N below for more details about what is next and a proposed posting schedule moving forward.

“Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, may I speak with you?” 

Sam nervously stood outside the couple’s shared office. He’d waited a couple minutes in hopes that they would acknowledge his presence. Assuming the duo was deeply absorbed in work, he finally decided to take matters into his own hands. However, the blonde couldn’t help wondering if they’d really been busy or if they were ignoring him in hopes he’d eventually leave.

The eldest Andersons didn’t react with much surprise when he spoke, after all… 

Instead, Mr. Anderson – although Sam had known him for years now, the dignified man still preferred being addressed with “proper titles” – held up a hand and beckoned Sam into the office without looking up from his computer screen. 

It wasn’t until he settled into a stiff-backed chair in front of the imposing mahogany desk that they made eye contact. His wife waited another beat before surfacing from behind her own laptop. As always, Sam was struck by how she resembled an older, more feminine Blaine. 

She had the same rich hazel eyes, and her curtain of dark hair fell in luscious waves halfway down her back. Although they shared similar features, there were differences. After years of friendship and then dating, Sam could read Blaine like a beloved comic book. He loved his expressive face and the warmth the smaller boy always exuded. In comparison, his mom was like reading trying to read a book upside down and in a foreign language. In short, it seemed impossible.

The only thing he usually got when he tried was an icy chill. Sometimes Sam got the impression that she really didn’t like him that much. Other times he wondered if she just really didn’t like anyone other than her husband and, seemingly, Cooper. 

The look she leveled his way was colder than usual. 

“Is there something we can help you with, Samuel?” Her voice was clipped. It made him feel as though he was interrupting the most important part of her day. “I thought you and our son were getting ready for tonight.”

He had to hand it to her: Mrs. Anderson was right. 

At the very moment, he and Blaine were supposed to be preparing for Santana and Brittany’s wedding. They were due at the venue in three short hours. However, Blaine was currently in the shower, and Sam had been waiting for an opportunity like this since they got back from Kentucky. 

A month later, and he still couldn’t shake the expression on Blaine’s face as he spoke about his family. His normally optimistic boyfriend looked as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. In that moment, so much of his personality – mainly his relentless desire to please everyone and earn the world’s love – made sense. 

It hurt Sam to see Blaine after his breakup with Kurt. That was nothing in comparison to this. Frankly, it killed him to see the way his own parents made him feel.

Sam knew he couldn’t fix the situation, but he resolved to do something to ease the family’s strained relationship. What he hadn’t expected was how hard it would be to steal a private moment with the couple. They traveled, like, all the time for work. And when they were home they usually holed up in the office or were busy at events with their equally fancy friends. He and Blaine meanwhile had packed schedules between work and seeing their friends who still lived in Lima.

Yeah, the timing sucked. But he refused to wait another month to have this conversation. Especially after the news that shook the country and changed everything yesterday. This was his chance, and he was determined not to fuck it up. 

“You’re right Mrs. Anderson. Blaine is in the shower now, and I’m just waiting for him to finish up,” Sam explained. He knew to speak clearly and simply so as not to waste these people’s time. He also knew that in his own house nothing about this conversation would be considered a waste. “In the meantime, we haven’t really had the chance to speak since Blaine and I got together. I wanted to let you know that I adore your son.”

“That’s good to hear, Sam,” Mr. Anderson said. Sam could already tell that the older man was checking out. He glanced down at his computer screen and flashed a glimpse at the top of his relentlessly gelled, silver-streaked head. “Anything else you have to share?”

“Well, yeah.” Sam tried not to stutter as he spoke. “Yes, actually. I’m sure you saw the news about the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage yesterday.” 

The life-changing news broke hours before last night’s rehearsal dinner. He’d been with Santana sitting through one final (and endlessly boring) meeting with the florist when they got an alert on their phones. His fiery friend pulled him into a fierce hug and insisted they buy celebratory bouquets before racing across town to reunite with Brittany and Blaine.

Sam smiled remembering the look on his boyfriend’s face when they walked into the Pierce’s house. He’d purchased what he now thought of as their arrangement – red roses and baby’s breath. Blaine took one look at the flowers before tossing them aside and leaping into Sam’s arms. He’d wrapped his legs around Sam’s torso and pulled him in for a deep kiss. 

Everyone cried. Then they cried again at dinner. It was an absolutely joyful moment that gave everyone hope for the future. Even thinking about the look on Blaine’s face last night made Sam feel like butterflies had taken up residence in his stomach. He was… the word Blaine had used last night was rhapsodic. After looking it up, he had to agree. The happy expression on his face fell as he heard Mr. Anderson’s scoff.

“Oh, dear God. I hope you two aren’t taking this news as a sign that you’re prepared to get married and play house. My son seems to think marriage is a walk in the park. He was prepared to propose to that other boy even though they were broken up.” Sam noted that the older man apparently didn’t even remember Kurt’s name. 

“I admittedly don’t know much about you, but I recall hearing my boy talking about how you thought you’d married someone else – a girl no less – already. You two clearly aren’t ready for this, and we will not allow it in our house.”

It took everything in Sam not to shout. He reminded himself how important Blaine was to him and that an argument would only add stress to a difficult family dynamic. Sure, it would feel good in the moment. But in the long run, it wouldn’t be worthwhile. He took a deep, steadying breath before responding.

“I’m not saying Blaine and I are ready to get married. We’ve talked about this, and we want to wait a couple years. There are so many things we want to achieve before we worry about settling down. And we’re already living together anyways so it’s not like we need a piece of paper to say we love each other.” 

Mrs. Anderson snorted. It was the first inelegant thing Sam had ever heard come out of her mouth. “Young man, marriage is hard work. You’re young and don’t know what you’re doing with your life yet. You may think that you want to marry my son, but you can’t know that for sure now.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, ma’am. I may be young, but I know marriage takes work and determination. I’m not planning a future with Blaine because I think it’ll be easy. I love your son, but he drives me crazy sometimes. I’m planning a future with him because I know it will be worth it.”

“You say that now. Come and talk to us in a few years. You may still be with our son. Or you may be with a woman again and two kids in. Who knows? That may be better for you anyways.” 

Sam saw red at the implication that he’d be better off married to a woman. He knew that there was never a chance he’d end up with anyone other than Blaine. 

“That will never happen, Mr. Anderson. I wanted to have this conversation to tell you your son means the world to me. A fact that you’d already know if you spent any time with us. Blaine is the single best person I know. He’s saved me more times than I can count. And I will spend the rest of my life showing him what it means to love someone. Nothing will bring me greater joy than one day calling him my husband. Not today, not tomorrow and not next month. But one day. I wanted to ask for your blessing, but I’ll do this with or without your support.” 

Based on the looks on their faces, Sam knew that he had maybe pushed too hard. He fought off a blush and tried to control the shakes that racked his body as he stood up to make an exit. 

“Alright, well I’m going to leave you to your night,” Sam said. He waved curtly and walked off. Remembering the manners he learned in his own household, he wished them a good evening before shutting the door behind him.

“That went… not well,” he muttered as he ran up the stairs to Blaine’s room. If he got back in time, his boyfriend may not even notice his absence. “Whatever though. I don’t need these people to make Blaine feel loved, and he doesn’t ever need to know we had this chat.” 

His secret plans were ruined the second he walked into their shared room and saw Blaine standing outside the bathroom door, wearing a towel and looking very confused. 

“Where’d you go, babe?” 

“It’s really not fair that you’re asking me questions when you look like that,” Sam whined. An almost-naked Blaine Anderson was distracting in the best of circumstances. An almost-naked, soaking-wet Blaine Anderson appearing mere moments after a difficult conversation made it utterly impossible for Sam to think.

Blaine looked at Sam in concern. He noticed the blonde’s red cheeks and saw how bright his emerald green eyes looked. It was as though he was holding back tears. That coupled with the fact that Sam was shaking confirmed something bad happened. Blaine just couldn’t figure out what.

“Promise you won’t be mad at me?” Sam asked meekly as he sat on the bed. He made sure to avoid crushing the pristine maroon tuxedo laid out beside him.

“I can’t promise to never be mad at you, Sammy. But I can promise that nothing you ever do will make me stay mad at you forever. Even if you kill someone…” Blaine looked surprised at his own words. “Please tell me you didn’t kill someone. Because dear god, that would be awkward.” 

Sam laughed weakly. “Worse than that.” 

“Try me.” 

“I just talked about us to your parents.” Sam watched with concern as Blaine’s normally olive-hued skin went stark white. “Are you Ok, B?” 

Blaine threw himself on the bed, too. He narrowly missed crushing the tuxedo, which Sam took as a sign that he was distracted and overwhelmed. He’d watched Blaine fastidiously steam even the thought of wrinkles out of the garment earlier and didn’t want to have to sit through the process a second time. That meant he needed to do a better job explaining himself.

“Honey, I just told them how much you meant to me and mentioned that we were hoping to get married one day. Not anytime soon. I wanted them to know that we were serious, and I was hoping they’d give me their blessing.”

Blaine looked up. Sam noted that he still looked a little pale. However, his expressive eyes confirmed that Blaine was calming down. “I take it that didn’t go well, huh?” 

“Apparently we’re too young to know what we want. And I may be better off with a woman.” Sam rolled his eyes as Blaine jumped up and turned to race toward the door. “It’s not worth it, dude. They can think what they want. We don’t need their blessing. I swear to you that I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you I love you with or without that.” 

“I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to figure out how I found you, Sammy. Seriously you are an angel. Forget them. We have your family and all of our friends if it comes down to it. Cooper, too.”

Sam pulled Blaine toward him. “Whoops,” he giggled as the dark-haired boy’s towel fell to the floor. “Now you’re all naked and upset. How about we go work things out in the shower?” 

With that the blonde let out a wild laugh as he raced into the bathroom pulling his giggling boyfriend along by the hand. A half hour later, the mood was much lighter as they dressed in their matching eveningwear. 

“How did you wear a fucking bowtie every day,” Sam grumbled from in front of the mirror. He was desperately attempting to make the piece of fabric in his hands look anything like what he’d seen Blaine wear around his neck for two years. “I swear I’m buying a clip-on next time we have to dress up.”

He jumped in surprise as Blaine snuck up behind him and stole the tie out of his hands. Sam couldn’t help noticing the scandalized look on his boyfriend’s face. It was like someone told him Christmas was cancelled. 

“No man of mine will ever, allow me repeat that ever, be caught wearing a clip-on. Especially not when helping you put this on means I get to be close to you.” Blaine pressed up against Sam from behind and grinned wickedly into the mirror as he quickly and efficiently tied the bowtie. “That’s how it’s done.” 

The former Warbler yelped as Sam spun around and caught him in his arms. This close together, he had to look up to see into his face. Sam was always handsome obviously. The boy was rapidly becoming one of New York’s most-booked male models even though he only worked part time. Bichette had even made a second attempt to get him on her roster before they came home for the summer. He’d told her to go to hell, which had been a rewarding experience. But he’d never looked better than he did now. 

“What do you have in mind now that you’ve gotten us into this position,” Blaine teased. He shimmied in pleasure as Sam caught his lips in a passionate kiss. But the duo jumped apart at the sound of a sharp knock on the bedroom door. 

They looked at each other in confusion as the door opened on Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. For a moment Sam worried that they’d be kicked out. He wondered if they’d be better off staying with Coach Beiste or at Burt and Carole’s for the rest of the summer. Then he figured it was worth it to at least give them a chance to speak. Thankfully Blaine took the lead.

“Can we help you?” His voice was a little sharp, but Blaine still had perfect manners. 

“Oh…” Mrs. Anderson’s usually cool exterior had evaporated since Sam last saw her. She seemed almost apologetic as she spoke now. “Don’t you both look so dapper and grown up.” 

“Mom, we’re kind of busy. I need to get to venue like ten minutes ago. Tina just texted to let me know Brittany is freaking out without her best man. So is there anything you need?”

This time Mr. Anderson took the lead. “We’ll be brief, son. Our conversation with Sam earlier made us realize some things. Chiefly, your mother and I think we’ve done you something of a disservice by being so absent in your life. That was a mistake on our part. I know that we don’t have the best job as a father, and I wanted to apologize for that.” Mrs. Anderson nodded in agreement. 

“We know that it will take time and hard work to fix things, but we are willing to make an effort if you are,” she said. “And for what it’s worth, we both wanted to express our appreciation for Sam. He surprised me earlier with how fiercely he spoke about you. That’s exactly the kind of person I always wanted for you, Blaine.” 

Blaine’s eyes filled with hope as he looked at his parents. Sam knew that he saw this as the possibility for a second chance. In his mind, this was Blaine’s choice. He’d respect his decision either way, but he really hoped that the smaller boy accepted the offer on the table. And he exhaled with relief when he did. 

“We love you, son,” Mrs. Anderson said after extracting herself from a family hug. She’d pulled Sam in and gently patted him on the shoulder. “Now you take your very handsome boyfriend and get to the wedding. You can tell us all about it tomorrow morning over breakfast.” 

Sam nodded in agreement as he and Blaine were shepherded out of the room. He’d make sure they did just that. But first, the focus was definitely on the wedding. 

"I'm looking forward to it, Mrs. Anderson," he shouted as Blaine pulled him out of the room. Sam could only just hear her response as they hit the ground floor.

"Oh, you can call me Pamela, sweetie. And that other thing we talked about earlier? Well, just know you have our blessing." 

"No way, no how, Mister," Blaine said as Sam's eyes lit with excitement. "We can talk marriage. But not until AFTER we get through this reception. One gay wedding at a time please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you *all* so much for reading. It means the world to me. If you like, please leave me a comment or kudos. Any sort of feedback lets me know how you like the story and gives me some ideas for where to take the story from here. 
> 
> Also, I wanted to offer an extra shoutout to AmyViolet! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your advice and friendship! Yay to my first true BLAM friend!
> 
> What's up in the next chapter? That would be the Brittana wedding. Here's a couple spoilers: Kitty is the flower girl. Blaine is Brittany's best man and the unicorn who oversees the wedding. Sam also has a special role in the big day. If you have any ideas for anyone else definitely let me know in the comments section!
> 
> Now before I leave I wanted to talk about a posting schedule. While I was off work I was trying to update every two or three days. I don't think that will be possible moving forward. Instead, my goal is to get at least one chapter up a week. That way the story can move forward accordingly. I have plans for at least an update every year through 2020. After that I'd like to do more infrequent updates all the way through BLAM's life! I hope you'll all stick around!


	16. The first gay wedding.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! It feels *SO STRANGE* to only be updating this story once a week right now, but I definitely did need the extra time to figure this chapter out. I'm also really proud of myself because I managed to not expand it into a multi-chapter saga. That's what I'll call personal growth... 
> 
> In all seriousness I hope you enjoy the Brittana nuptials. I wanted to provide some typical New Directions drama and open the door for some plans for our boys. Especially after Sam's conversation with the Andersons last chapter. 
> 
> Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think! Also make sure to check below for notes about what is next. Spoiler alert: I would LOVE some advice from you about whether or not we need a chapter I have in mind!

“Blainey Days, can I borrow you in the hallway?” 

Blaine looked up from buttoning Brittany into her dress. The dreamy lace confection clung to the dancer’s lithe body before belling out around her ankles in a soft flare. Her lush hair was pulled back into a loose chignon with a few pieces already escaping to frame her face. Brittany wore a crown of flowers on her head, and a small bouquet of lilies rested on a table in the tastefully decorated bridal suite. 

She made a stunning bride.

However, the pearl buttons running up the back of her dress were the bane of Blaine’s existence. They required an excess of patience to fasten, and he wondered (not for the first time) how he’d been assigned the task. Damn his role as the best man/unicorn of honor...

“Sure. Give me one second to finish up here, and I’m yours.” 

He jumped as Tina stalked over and grabbed his elbow. Her iron-tight grasp was definitely not doing his tuxedo any favors, and her expression spelled trouble. She loomed over him in towering heels and leaned down to whisper in his ear. 

“I think you misunderstood me, Blaine Anderson. I need you by my side. Right. Now.” 

Tina smiled tightly, but the expression was a fragilely constructed façade. At any moment it could crumble. Glancing over at Brittany, Blaine breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn’t picking up on the dark mood. The blonde had been terribly superstitious leading up to the nuptials and went as far as threatening to sacrifice a chicken at one point. 

He refused to think about what would happen if she knew something was seemingly wrong now. Instead of making a scene, he motioned for Marley and Unique to take his place. Like Tina, they were dressed in soft shades of blue. They quickly sprang into action.

Thankfully, he didn’t need to worry about a distraction; that’s where Kitty came in. The younger Cheerio was demanding to know, not for the first time, why she had to be the flower girl. Blaine wished he could stay and listen because Brittany’s reasoning amazed him. 

Currently she was explaining that Kitty was the youngest Cheerio in the group and, thus, the baby. The flower girl was a child’s role, so she was the only logical choice. Also, there was something about how Britt worried about confusing her with Quinn if they were both bridesmaids. Blaine struggled with that tangent since they would have been standing on different sides of the altar and wearing different colors.

Tina steered him out of the room before Kitty responded. Blaine prayed the girls could put out that potential fire. Better yet, he hoped Marley would provide a good play-by-play later.

“What’s up, Tina?” He waited until they were out of earshot before asking. 

“I’ll tell you what’s up, Hobbit,” Santana’s head popped out of another door followed by one perfectly manicured hand. She grabbed Blaine by the lapels and yanked him inside. He got a view of his ebony haired friend in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo before she snapped her fingers in front of his face and demanded his full attention.

“Our officiant bailed. Apparently they are, and I quote ‘too hungover to see straight after celebrating last night.’ I’m fully prepared to go all Lima Heights on their ass tomorrow. Unfortunately, that is not our biggest concern at the moment...” 

Blaine blanched at the thought of finding a last-minute replacement. Then it came to him…

“What about Sammy?”

“What about me?” It was a testament to the severity of the moment that Blaine hadn’t immediately noticed his boyfriend’s presence. He tried with little success to beat back the surge of love and arousal that came from seeing the elegantly dressed man. 

Sam was, in his humble opinion, the sexiest person on the planet no matter what he wore. But he looked particularly good in a tux. Blaine figured everyone would understand if he took a moment to appreciate the view even if they were in the middle of an emergency.

His boyfriend wrapped a comforting (and likely restraining) arm around Santana’s shoulders and looked at Blaine in confusion.

“Sammy, you got your officiant’s license for that wedding-themed shoot last year. Remember how you thought it would make things more realistic if you could legally marry people? I believe you referred to it as method modelling.” 

“But who would walk Lord Tubbington and the rings down the aisle?” There was a genuine look of anxiety on Sam’s face. He’d somehow been lassoed into the role of feline chaperone and assistant ring bearer. Brittany insisted Sam was the only one capable of stopping her cat from selling their rings on the black market. It had taken a lot of convincing on everyone’s part to get her to drop the idea of putting him in a bullet-proof vest for the occasion. 

Blaine’s mind spun into motion. “Maybe Ryder or Jake could stand in? They were going to be ushers with Joe, but we really only need two people for that…” 

Santana abruptly cut off his scheming. “Too late. Trouty seemingly forgot this nugget of information. Trust me when I say you’ll pay later, Lips.” Sam shuddered in horror, and Blaine prepared to protect him in case Auntie Snixx made a surprise appearance. “Because in a moment of desperation, I asked someone else. Which leads into my bigger and more immediate problem...” 

She dramatically gestured toward the other side of the room where a bemused looking Sue Sylvester sat. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Blaine groaned as the older woman jauntily waved. She was dressed in a black tracksuit lined with gold piping and had somehow found an elaborate headdress to match. 

Blaine noticed that she carried a black book that looked similar to what the officiant had on hand for last night’s rehearsal.

“Is that any way to greet your former coach and role model, Not-So-Young Burt Reynolds. You could be a little more generous seeing as I’m here to save the day,” Sue sauntered up to the group. “If things were different, I could have been marrying you and Porcelain today. As it is sweet, innocent Brittany and Sandbags should consider themselves lucky to be married by the top cheerleading coach in the galaxy.” 

Everyone, even the usually unflappable Sue, jumped at the sound of a frantic knock on the door. Rachel and Kurt, who insisted on sharing the role of Santana’s maid/man of honor, rushed in before Tina – who was apparently standing guard outside – closed it again with military-like precision. 

“We came as soon as we could,” Kurt gasped. He was meticulously dressed in a deep navy tuxedo while Rachel wore a pale shade of blush. “Tina just told us the news. Santana why don’t you and Rachel go back to the suite and finish up there. Blaine, Sam and I can handle this.” 

Rachel nodded emphatically and smiled at Sam as she nudged his arm off Santana’s shoulder. “Come on, soon-to-be Mrs. Lopez-Pierce. Let’s finish up your hair. These three are good. Right, boys?” The look she leveled their way turned Blaine’s blood to ice. He rushed to nod in agreement. Even Santana looked temporarily reassured. Typical that it would take a ferocious Rachel to calm her nerves.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thank you, Sue,” she uttered as she was shepherded out of the room. 

Sue waited until the door shut before turning to the boys. “Alright, boys. Here’s how it is going down…” 

“Stop right there.” Blaine was surprised that Sam was the one to speak up. 

His boyfriend was the most easy-going person he’d ever met. Nothing fazed him. However, he looked threatening as he glared at their occasional nemesis. “Brittany and Santana are some of the best people I know, and their relationship is goals. Every single one of us have turned to them for advice and to see what true love looks like at one point or another. Their wedding will go off without a hitch. If I so much as think you’re about to go off script I will unleash the full might of Lord Tubbington on you. Do. Not. Try. Me.” 

The Cheerios coach clapped lazily. “That was a beautiful but unnecessary speech, Kentucky Fried Stripper. I see Coach Beiste was right about you after all; your heart really is as massive as those oversized lips. What I was going to say is that I protect of what is mine. Those two young women were on my squad. They’re mine. I’ll torment them for the rest of their lives as is my god-given and president-protected right. But I’ll take care of them. The only thing that can possibly ruin their day is the slew of undoubtedly horrible songs you’ll all perform later. But that is beyond my control.”

The three boys exchanged surprised looks. Was it really that easy? Blaine was surprised but figured it made sense in some twisted way. Sue made their lives a living hell at McKinley, but she stood up for them occasionally. 

Plus considering the current circumstance, their only choice was to trust her.

After quickly going over plans, Blaine returned to the bridal suite to break the news to Brittany. She took the change surprisingly well. So well in fact that he wondered if Kitty followed through on her threats to slip the older girl a pill while he was distracted. Either way, everyone finished getting ready and raced to take their places for the ceremony. 

Brittany and Santana rented out an idyllic farm and were exchanging vows in front of a picturesque lake. The scent of flowers hung heavy in the summer-sweet air as Brittany and Blaine hid behind a screen and watched everyone process down the aisle. 

Dressed in a white dress and carrying a beribboned basket, Kitty led the way. Blaine noted that anyone who so much as giggled as she walked by wound up with a face full of petals. Then came the rest of the wedding party as the sounds of the traditional wedding march filled the air. 

The original class of New Directions was standing on Santana’s side, while Brittany claimed her graduating class, Unique and Marley. They walked down the aisle in pairs and branched off to stand on either side of an arch weighed down by calla lilies. Sam followed behind with Lord Tubbington on a bedazzled leash and peeled off to stand on Brittany’s side. 

The music swelled as Santana floated down the aisle flanked by Kurt and Rachel. Blaine heard Brittany’s sharp intake of breath as she saw her bride for the first time. He grabbed her hand and smiled at the look of radiant joy on her face.

“You ready, Britt? We’re almost up.” 

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for years, Blaine Warbler. Thanks for walking me down the aisle today and providing our Unicorn Blessing.” The blonde wrapped Blaine in a warm hug before they joined the procession. 

The dark-haired boy fought back tears as Santana saw Brittany for the first time. Her chocolate eyes went soft, and her shoulders shook with a magnitude of emotion. Blaine kissed his friend on the cheek once they reached the front of the aisle. 

He did the same to Santana before placing their hands together and sliding back into the bridal party. Sam shuffled closer and discretely grabbed his hand as Sue strode forward. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we gather here today to witness the union of Brittany Pierce and Santana Lopez. As someone who watched this romance unfold over the last seven years, I feel comfortable saying that it is about damn time this moment finally came.” 

The crowd of New Directioners giggled as Brittany and Santana stared at each other lovingly. It was as though they were in their own world. Sue had to prompt them twice to begin the vows.

“Santana Lopez,” Brittany sniffled. “I fell in love with you the day we first met and have been waiting for this moment since. I never doubted that we’d end up here. And I cannot believe how lucky I am to get your sweet lady kisses. They are all mine from here on out. I vow to be a good wife to you and love you for the rest of eternity.”

“Brittany Pierce, I’ve never met anyone like you before, and I know I never will,” Santana vowed as tears trailed down her face. Blaine had expected tears from Brittany, but he hadn’t expected this perfect display of emotion. Seeing his usually so brash friend in this state was particularly moving. “You are the human embodiment of sunlight. You make life worth living. You taught me how to love myself. You are everything I’ve ever wanted. I vow to be a good wife to you and to love you for the rest of eternity.”

Everyone turned to Blaine. He stepped forward and took the rings from Sam’s outstretched palm. Once they were in hand, he produced a packet of iridescent glitter from the pocket of his tuxedo and upended it over the jewelry. 

“Brittany, Santana, I truly cannot imagine a more perfect couple. Thank you for everything you have ever done for every single person standing up here today. We all love you, and it is my honor to bless this union. I wish you both endless joy and love.”

He finally broke into quiet tears as the pair exchanged rings, and Sue spoke the final words.

“I now pronounce you wife and wife. Please mark this occasion with a kiss. But not one that will make the angels cry or the audience gathered before us lose their pathetic lunch.” 

Applause rained down on the pair as they swept into a passionate kiss. They led the way back up the aisle hand in hand with the rest of the party following behind. Blaine jumped in surprise as Sam pulled him back and motioned for Kurt and Rachel to follow behind the brides.

He looked up at his boyfriend in confusion as they walked down the aisle together. 

“You know what this means?” Blaine wondered Sam’s mind was. His emerald eyes were dancing with mirth. “Our first gay wedding has come and gone. Not even 12 hours ago you said we could talk about ours once we got through the Brittana union.” 

The dark-haired boy tilted his head back and laughed with surprised joy. “Sam Evans you are utterly incorrigible. And we still have the reception. Are you really that excited to marry me?”

“I’d be crazy to let you slip away. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Sam poked his partner in the side to make sure he knew that he wasn’t joking. “You do know how much you mean to me, right?” 

Blaine nodded and stood on his toes to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek. Everything felt right in the moment. “Sammy, I feel the same way. I pinky promise we can talk about this. Let’s get through the reception first though. Ok? Remember, as Sue would say we still have a stage to besmirch with a song.”

“I’m holding you to that promise, Blaine Anderson,” Sam grinned. 

“You two are utterly sickening. You know that, right?” Tina teased as she and Mike came up behind them. “We can totally tell that you’re already thinking about your own wedding. But we need to go take photos now. And if I were you I’d keep a tighter rein on the cat, Sam. Brittany told me that he has been trying to sneak off and rejoin the local gang lately.” 

The rest of the night passed in a blur of happy moments. Mercedes and Unique covered Billie Holiday’s “It Had To Be You” for the couple’s first dance. Everyone else took the stage at some point to serenade the serenade the newly married pair. That included Blaine and Sam, who performed “Teenage Dream” together for the first time.

“A while ago, Brittany and Santana shared one of their songs with us for our first anniversary. We wanted to return the favor by singing one of ours for them,” Sam explained while Blaine sat at the piano. The pair felt an inordinate amount of joy to see Santana’s emotional face after the performance. 

The conversation didn’t turn back to their own eventual wedding until they were back at the Andersons getting ready for bed.

“Alright, let’s make a deal, lover boy,” Blaine said as he hung up his tuxedo and picked Sam’s up off the chair where it was resting. “Let’s get engaged after graduation. Then we can figure out a date. The way I see it, there’s no rush, right? We both know we are getting married. But I think we should enjoy the last two years of school before we shake things up too much. We're young now, and I want to enjoy this time with you without any added stress. Especially since I already get to wake up with you every morning and kiss you anytime I want.” 

Sam agreed while turning off the lights. “Sounds good to me. You know I’m not worried, Blaine. As long as we are together we can do anything. And I told your parents this: marriage is hard. But with you it'll be worth it. Like Nightbird and Blonde Chameleon, we are the perfect pair. And we’re going to have the rest of our lives together to go on adventures and save the world.”

He yelped in surprise as Blaine tackled him to the bed. 

Blaine pulled Sam into a kiss and ground his hips against the blonde's. He purred in pleasure as he felt Sam pushing back.

“I agree, Sammy. Now why don’t we spend the rest of the night showing each other how much we mean to each other? Let’s celebrate our first perfect gay wedding with some perfect gay sex. How does that proposal sound?”

Sam pulled Blaine down into another searing kiss and rolled over so he was on top. “You always have made the best plans,” he gasped when they finally came up for air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed/read/left kudos on this story. It means the literal world to me. Please, please, please continue doing so. I really want to finesse my writing skills, and the only way I can is if I hear from all of you. Also, remember that I am definitely down to take proposals for prompts for the story. I have ideas for the next few updates but am always willing to at the very least consider other ideas. That's the only reason we have our prom saga and the Anderson and Evans family chapters after all.
> 
> Speaking of my next update, I have a question for you all. I was thinking that my next update will take place in December of 2016. AKA the winter of BLAM's senior year. And it is going to be a heavier one. Honestly, it'll likely even be a couple of chapters because I want this to have time to unfold. 
> 
> That's where my question comes in. Do you have any interest in a lighter chapter taking place in the summer of 2016? It would be more of an interlude to set the scene for the story taking place in December and would feature Sam and Coach Beiste. Not to spoil too much, but it would set the scene for some big changes in Sam's (and thus Blaine's life). If you guys want something like that I can absolutely write it. If not, I can just fold some of the details into the December chapter instead. So let me know what you think!


	17. A Lima layover.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AND I'M BACK! It's really hard to be on a weekly posting schedule because I miss writing about our boys all the time. That being said, I'm glad I did put some limitations on myself. This was a tougher chapter to write in general, and it starts what I'm thinking will likely be a trilogy of emotionally taxing chapters for Blaine, Sam and... to a lesser extent me. 
> 
> I hope you like it. Please feel free to let me know what you're thinking. Although my original goal was for this to be a shorter interlude, it ended up being one of my longer chapters. I'm sure by now you're hardly surprised by that factoid. I am physically incapable of keeping stories brief apparently. But there was a purpose. Well, a couple purposes. First, I really wanted to set up the next arc of Blam's relationship. Also, I wanted to try and do more descriptive writing. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and I hope you like this new update!

“All right, that’s it for the day, gentleman. Huddle up.” Sam grinned at Coach Beiste as she called an end to practice. They stood side-by-side at the 50-yard line as a horde of sweat-drenched high schoolers jogged their way. The team was wilting after practicing drills and running sprints for hours on end under the searing, late-July sun. Despite their exhaustion, they dutifully took a knee. 

Frankly, Sam was impressed none of them had hurled at this point. He and Coach pushed them hard, but it was for a good reason. Hopefully once two-a-days started they’d have the endurance to make it through morning and afternoon practices. Those ran daily until school began in August. By then the McKinley Titans would be prepared to defend the state title for another year running.

He tried to hide a surprised expression as Coach Beiste nudged him in front of her and announced he had something to say. His mentor had been putting him on the spot like that since he got back to Lima in early May. Sam couldn’t figure out why exactly, but he wasn’t complaining. It made him feel good to know that she trusted him.

“You guys looked great out there,” Sam said. “Porter, your passes were dead-on consistently. Greene, I’ve never seen anyone run a sprint that fast. Holt, I was totally waiting for you to upchuck, but you held it in. Nice job, man.” 

The guys grinned and jostled their friend as he stood and took a dramatic bow. 

“Seriously though. We’re already miles ahead of where we were at this point last year, and I was blown away even back then. If we can keep this momentum, you’ll kick ass all season. Two-a-days start Monday. That means you need to rest up all weekend. I know it’s the last free one for a couple months, but don’t fuck around, guys. No partying or alcohol because you’ll regret it. Drink a lot of water, get a shit-ton of sleep and be ready to show us what you’re made of. We’ll be pushing you all. You’ll probably hate us, but we’re doing it because we know you can take it.”

Coach nodded along behind him as he spoke. Her presence calmed the nerves that were tingling in his body. Instead of feeling anxious, Sam just felt pumped up. And he wanted to share that with the players assembled in front of him.

“Let’s hear you make some noise, Titans! That’s what I like to hear! Alright, go hit the showers, and we’ll see you in the weight room at 7 sharp Monday morning. Do not be late. You will regret it. Yes, that means you, Porter.”

Sam slapped a couple guys on the shoulder as they whooped and rushed off to the locker room. Watching them huddle around Spencer Porter as they pushed open the doors warmed his heart. Sam worked with the plucky kid for the last two years and was proud to see him finally leading the team as the starting quarterback. It was doubly nostalgia-inducing since he was also part of the latest iteration of New Directions.

Spencer reminded Sam of himself, Finn and the rest of the ND football guys. But even more, he saw Blaine when he looked at the young athlete. They both had the courage to come out as gay in small-town Ohio, and both refused to hide or pretend to be anyone else for the sake of fitting in. With his buzzed head and ridiculously toned physique, Spencer was what Brittany would call a majestic unicorn. 

Granted, his experience at McKinley had been a little easier thanks to the hard work the Glee club had done to make the school more accepting. The camaraderie displayed in front of him today was in sharp contrast to the reception Sam had from some of his teammates after coming out. It made him feel like things were changing for the better, and the battles they fought had actually been worth it.

If Sam had his way, no kid would ever experience any of the hate Blaine, Santana, Kurt, Unique and, to a lesser degree, he and the rest of the club lived through ever again. That especially applied to his players, whom he sometimes thought of as his very own (oversized) kids. 

“They really love you. I hope you know that.” Not for the first time, Sam wondered if Coach Beiste could read his mind. She casually threw an arm around Sam’s shoulder as they walked into the building and were instantly assaulted by a burst of cold air from the overactive air conditioning system Sue installed. She insisted a tundra-like atmosphere stimulated students’ minds and led to higher test scores. In true Sue form, she refused to provide any evidence to back up the claims and installed electrified cages around all the thermostats so no one could ever turn the temperature up.

The atmosphere in the locker room was particularly jarring as the muggy weather outside mixed with the arctic temperature inside. Droplets of condensation ran down the familiar yellow and red walls in the locker room. The space smelled about as good as any locker room… Not good. However, being in the familiar room and seeing Finn’s jersey hanging on the wall all these years later brought back happy memories. 

“Can you stay back for a bit? There’s something I want to talk to you about.” 

“Sure, Coach! I’ve got nothing going on tonight.” 

That was the understatement of the decade. Unlike last summer, Blaine hadn’t been able to come back to Lima this time. He wanted to join Sam and enjoy a lazy summer off before starting senior year, but plans changed when he was offered a spot in a local concert series. The dark-haired boy tried to turn down the contract so Sam wouldn’t be alone. 

It resulted in one of the few arguments of their relationship with them both on opposite sides regarding the opportunity. Sam insisted it would be good for Blaine's career and refused to let him turn the chance down. Blaine was going to be a superstar; this was the obvious next step. But as proud as he was of his boyfriend, he regretted the decision almost immediately. 

As the summer wore on, Sam traveled back to the city to catch a couple shows, and Blaine stole a long weekend in Lima whenever possible. They talked on the phone all the time. But it went without saying that both boys were counting down the days until they could reunite for good. 

In the meantime, Sam spent most of his free time chilling at the Andersons on his own.

He tried not to think about his nonexistent plans for the weekend as he and Coach ambled back toward her office. They made small talk about practice and talked strategy for next week while getting comfortable in chairs on either side of an immense desk. 

“Have you thought about what you want to do after graduation yet, Pumpkin?” 

This was not the conversation Sam expected, but he tried to answer honestly.

“No. At least not seriously. Blaine’s working on his music and has had a couple labels reach out. He’s bound to end up with a recording and publishing contract somewhere in the city. I figure I’ll get a job teaching art and hopefully coaching at a high school up there.”

“Is that what you or Blaine really want, Sam? I didn’t think either of you planned to stay in New York City much past graduation.”

“We both like New York. There’s always something going on especially since all of our friends are there. At least for now... I know Kurt is thinking about moving to London with Adam for a couple months. They're getting sick of doing things long distance, and Kurt thinks he'd like a change of scenery. Then Puck and Quinn aren’t sure where they’ll end up once they get married. I wouldn’t mind leaving, but it’s where Blaine needs to be to make it. He’s so talented and has worked so hard for this. I couldn’t take any opportunity away from him.”

Coach nodded like she understood. Even before Sam and Blaine got together, she had been one of their biggest advocates at McKinley. She just got things in a simple way. However, her facial expression now seemed to imply that she didn’t agree with Sam’s assessment, which confused him.

“What if you could come back here and take over for me?” 

Sam’s heart stopped as the words washed over him. He’d never admit it to anyone, but he missed Lima. Terribly. New York City really was great, yeah. But he longed for the slower pace and the comfort associated with life in the Midwest. It was what he grew up on, and the older he got the more he longed for it. The only problem was that Sam didn’t think Blaine would ever go for it, and their relationship mattered more than a silly city. 

An opportunity to coach at McKinley, though… That would be hard to pass up even if it didn’t make much sense.

“What do you mean take over for you? You’re young, Coach. You’ve still got years before retirement.”

“I’m going to tell you something that I haven’t told many other people yet. I’m telling you because I trust you. But also because it’s part of the reason I want you to take over, and I need you to understand. Do you know what it means to be transgender?”

He nodded. Sam vividly remembered the day he and Blaine laid in bed for hours after solidifying their relationship. They talked about the LGBTQ+ spectrum as Sam tried to determine how he identified. Blaine had been so patient explaining the differences between bisexuality and pansexuality that always seemed so subtle to Sam before. His boyfriend explained every other identity as well so that he could have a better understanding of his community. 

“That’s when your gender doesn’t match up with the sex you were assigned at birth, right?” 

“You’ve pretty much got it there, Sugar. Well, I’ve always felt that way. Like I was born into the wrong body, and I just want to be able to live more authentically. I’m finally ready to take the steps to transition. I’m going to come out as Sheldon Beiste.”

Coach brushed back a couple tears as he finished speaking. Sam made a mental note to correct the gender pronouns he was using while thinking or speaking. He knew how much it mattered and wanted to make his support clear.

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me that, Coach. I’m so happy that you’re going to be living your true life, and I hope you know that you have my full support. Blaine’s, too if he knew. Every single New Direction alum is in your corner, really…”

Sam had more to say, but it was cut off as he was wrapped up in Coach’s strong arms. 

“Thank you. So much. I knew I could count on you, but hearing you say it means the world. I understand if you’re wondering how this has anything to do with you coaching?” 

The blonde nodded in confusion. It still didn’t add up, really. And he was trying really hard to do the math. 

“I haven’t talked to many people about this yet. Really just Will, Emma and, believe it or not, Sue. They were all great. Sue and I talked about what me transitioning entails and how it affects coaching. Basically, I’ll be fine to go through this year, but there are some surgeries that would sideline me. If you are willing to take my spot, I can do them after you graduate.”

Coach took a deep breath before he kept speaking.

“You wouldn’t just be coaching, either. You don’t know this yet, but Mrs. Price is ready to retire. That means we’ll have an opening in the art department next year. I convinced Sue you’d be the perfect fit for both roles. Apparently you impressed her with some speech at Brittany and Santana’s wedding so it didn’t even take much to get her see reason.”

Sam could just barely make out the sound of the team on the other side of the door. He heard the muffled slamming of lockers and broken snippets of conversation and tried to focus on that as he processed everything Coach said. If he took this opportunity, his life could change in a lot of exciting ways. 

“Can I have some time to think about this? When would you need to know?” 

“There’s no rush, Sam.” It was almost like Coach was reading his mind. “I know you and Blaine would need to talk this out and consider the pros and cons. If you can’t do it, there’s no pressure on our end. We’ll find someone else. I just wanted you to know it was an option. Why don’t I take you out to dinner, and we can talk a little more? How does that sound?”

A couple hours later, an exhausted and confused Sam parked Blaine’s old car in the empty garage at the Andersons. Pamela and Robert, Blaine’s parents officially insisted Sam use their first names now, were both out of town on business. That meant he had the cavernous house to himself. 

As quiet as it was as he pushed open the door to a well-designed mudroom, Sam’s mind was in overdrive. Coach explained the job offer, yes it was a real job offer before he even graduated, in detail over dinner at Breadstix. He really wanted Sam to take his spot. Beiste’s confidence in him gave him the courage to consider the opportunity. 

But there were so many variables to consider. Most of them revolved around Blaine. So he decided to do what he always did in these situations – call his boyfriend.

Sam waited until he’d gotten up to Blaine’s childhood bedroom to pull his phone out. He made himself comfortable at the desk where they used to spend so much time doing homework. The bedroom took him back to a time when they were just best friends. That’s what Sam needed at the moment. His boyfriend, sure. But he really needed his best friend. 

“Sammy,” Blaine picked up the phone within seconds of Sam dialing. “I can’t believe you called me because I was literally just grabbing my cell to call you! You would not believe the day I had. I was getting ready for tonight's show at Zephyr, and I ran into this guy named Elliott. Get this, Sammy. He goes by Starchild; it’s like his super-hero alter ego. And he’s totally cool and does music, too. Well, I guess he recognized me from a show earlier this summer and wanted to talk about an opportunity to get in touch with his label. He said they’d love to sign me. Nothing is official yet, obviously. But they sound like a better fit than anyone else I’ve talked to so far, and I’m just so excited!”

Blaine’s enthusiasm was evident in his voice. This was the moment he’d been working toward for years now: his big break. Sam could never get in the way of that. So he decided to hold off on telling Blaine about his own news. Only for a little while, Sam promised himself. He hated to keep things from Blaine. Nothing good ever came from it. But in this moment, he felt the focus deserved to be fully on his boyfriend.

“That is fantastic news,” he gushed. Sam absentmindedly picked up a charcoal pencil and started doodling in a sketchbook while they caught up. 

He and Blaine spent more time talking about their days and making a plan for Blaine’s next visit to Lima. They were trying to coordinate it so that it could take place when the Andersons were home, but time was running low before Sam was due back in New York. 

“Oh wow. I got so wrapped up in my news that I didn’t even think to ask why you were calling. I promised I wouldn’t do that anymore, and I’m really sorry, Sammy. Was there something you wanted to talk about.” 

Sam didn’t know how it happened but suddenly he was holding back tears. He tried to keep his voice steady as he replied. Blaine had the ability to detect even the slightest quiver in his voice. As fun as it was to pretend that it was his super power, Sam knew it was actually just a side effect of being in each other’s lives for so long. 

“No, no! Nothing really new, dude. I just missed the sound of your voice and wanted to catch up. I can’t wait to meet this new guy when I get back. What was his name again? Star Lord? Is he ripping off Guardians?” 

“Starchild. You’re going to love him. I told him that we’d have him over for drinks one day when you were back. Are you sure there’s nothing going on though? Now that I think about it, you sounded kind of weird when I picked up.”

So Sam spent the next twenty minutes assuring Blaine that nothing was wrong. His boyfriend tried to guess any potential problems that he’d encountered. After assuring Blaine that, no, he hadn’t flooded the bathtub (again) and that Sue hadn’t threatened to release hounds into the Anderson’s house (this week) he was able to sign off. 

“I love you, Blaine Anderson. So fucking much. I hope you know that.” 

“The feeling is mutual, Sam Evans. I cannot wait until we’re together again. I love you. Make sure to get some sleep, Ok? Rachel told me that she was talking to Mr. Schue recently and he told er that you looked a little tired. If you want, I can read you fan fiction over the phone until you fall asleep? Would that help?”

“No, I’m good. I pinky promise. And I swear I’ll sleep in tomorrow morning. There’s nothing going on here anyways. I’m going to run now, but you have a good night. Text me after your show?”

The boys signed off and made plans to talk again soon. After dropping his phone on the desk, Sam looked down at the sketch pad in front of him. Charcoal wasn’t really his medium of choice. He preferred oil paint if he was working in two dimensions but really excelled at sculptural pieces. However, the image that had taken shape while on the phone was a fairly true rendering of McKinley’s football stadium. 

He could make out the goal posts and see a full crowd of spectators in the stands. Sitting front and center was Blaine. It made for a pretty picture, but Sam determined that it wasn’t going to be possible. He’d hold on to the dream for now, but at some point he’d have to tell Beiste no. Maybe closer to graduation, he decided. 

In the meantime, he figured that he’d finish up the sketch and get it framed. His coach would appreciate the artwork, and it made what Sam considered to be a great “thanks for the job opportunity and congratulations on coming out” gift. 

Suddenly exhausted, he stripped down to a pair of boxer briefs and got into bed. He grabbed his phone and jotted out a text to Blaine.

“Totally about to pass out early, dude. I kno u’ll kill it tonight. Love you, babe. Let’s talk in the morning?” 

Sam plugged the phone into his charger and laid back on a too-soft pillow. He wrapped himself in Blaine’s old sheets. If he pretended enough, he could almost summon the scent of his boyfriend’s signature fragrance. It made him feel more secure even though right now his world felt totally rocked and confusing. Here he was, a month or so away from the start of his senior year of college. Things should be coming together, but he felt like it was all about to fall apart. He could handle some uncertainty, but not when it came to his relationship with Blaine.

“Blaine and I will totally be able to figure it out. We’re Blam; we’re meant to be together,” Sam muttered into the darkness. There was no fully erasing the sense of dread that settled deep inside his stomach though. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep. Thankfully, it worked. 

What Sam didn’t account for were the nightmares that plagued his mind. In them, he and Blaine broke up in a billion different ways. The cause was always the same: Blaine haughtily telling him that he couldn’t be held back by Sam anymore. In one, he told the blonde that Starchild was a better match. In another he simply walked away as Sam fell to his knees sobbing in the middle of Central Park. None of them were happy.

So he wasn’t really surprised to wake up crying in the early hours of the morning. So much for sleeping in. Taking a couple deep breaths, Sam got up and headed toward the shower. If he couldn’t sleep, then there was no reason to lie in bed all day. He resolved to fall back on an old, reliable trick to distract himself: working out until his body was so tired that his mind couldn't think anymore. 

Looking in the mirror, Sam noted the dark shadows under his eyes. Lovely. He made eye contact with himself and uttered one last pronouncement before turning on the shower.

“It’s going to be a hard fucking year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you (again) for sticking along with this story. You reading means the absolute world to me. And an even bigger thank you to every single person who has left a comment or kudos. Your feedback is really helping me.
> 
> Please remember that you can absolutely leave me ideas that you want to see brought to life. 
> 
> What's coming up next? Well, the next update will take place in December of 2016. The boys are so close to graduating, but the changes ahead of them are playing on their insecurities. That's especially the case for Sam who is about to make a mistake or two in how he handles their relationship. What does that mean exactly? I'm sure you can probably guess, but you'll need to read on to find out exactly. 
> 
> See you all next week!


	18. A New Directions breakup (part 1 of the breakup and makeup saga).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... I'm back. And I did it again. What started out as a two-chapter breakup and makeup arc (not counting last week's update) has officially become a three-chapter arc. Here's the first installment.
> 
> This one is told from Santana's point of view and takes place two weeks after Blam breaks up. You'll get to witness the moment it all goes south from her perspective in this chapter. Then I'm sure Blaine and Sam will both get a chance to relive aspects of it in their upcoming chapters. 
> 
> Why is Santana involved? Because she's special to me. Also because we all know that the New Directions would definitely get involved in a breakup of this scale. She seemed like the only person capable of making it all better and orchestrating a reunion. 
> 
> One other thing: I had her call Sam Sean Cody at one point. Yes, this is a reference to the porn company. Why? Because I realized that Sam would be the perfect casting candidate and figured that Santana may tease him for it. I wanted to toy with adding another nickname that wasn't lip related, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. Hopefully you agree!
> 
> Also hopefully you enjoy the chapter!

“Listen up, Trouty Mouth,” Santana growled as she stormed into Sam’s bedroom. The blonde jumped in surprise at the sound of the door slamming into the opposite wall. It ricocheted back and forced the former cheerleader to nimbly jump farther into the room to dodge its rapid return journey. 

Sure, it was a closer call than she cared to admit, but at least she had Sam’s undivided attention. Her prey flinched as the door closed with a second decisive slam. Maybe she was coming on a little too hot? 

Moderation and all, right?

Nah, Santana definitively decided. After all, she always prided herself on knowing how to make an entrance. It was a trait picked up from Sue of all people. And this was definitely an attention-grabbing move. 

After assuaging her momentary guilt, she turned her attention back to her target. He tried to literally duck for cover as if he could hide his frame behind the canvas he was working on. But there was no avoiding Auntie Snixx; not when she was in this type of mood.

Santana knew she had control of the situation and needed to maintain it in order to achieve her goal. Before he had a moment to mount a protest, she grabbed Sam by the shoulders and forcibly removed the palette and brush from his hands. She tried to avoid getting any of the jewel-toned paints on herself while directing her friend around the portable easel set up in the middle of the sun-drenched room. 

Glancing at the painting he’d been working on, Santana let out a tortured sigh. “I swear, you boys are literal idiots. It amazes me that you’ve made it this far in life while making your own decisions.”

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Santana cut him off. She threw up a hand in front of his face while sitting him down on the bed he used to share with Blaine. 

“Turn those listening ears on, Trouty. Because I will not be repeating myself, and I will not give you a moment of peace until this is worked out.”

“Santana, I really need to finish that. It’s for my final…” Sam’s protest was cut off as Santana literally pinched his lips shut between perfectly manicured fingers. His emerald eyes widened in surprised aggravation. 

“Nice try, but it’s my turn to speak. If you’re lucky I’ll give you a chance to defend yourself later.” Santana stood threateningly in front of Sam. She paused for a second to make sure he understood before opening her mouth again. 

“I do not know exactly why you did what you did. Frankly I don’t care. All I care about is that you fix it. FIX. IT. Because if you let that fine piece of Hobbit ass walk away, you’re way dumber than I ever took you to be. That and you’ll never forgive yourself. Even worse, I’ll never forgive you.” 

Sam mulishly set his jaw. It took a lot of restraint not the smack him upside the head. In fact, she probably would have if he didn’t look so pathetic. 

She and all of their friends had already noticed the signs of neglect that marred the boy’s annoyingly perfect face, and they gave her pause. There were dark shadows under Sam’s eyes. His normally well-maintained hair fell in lank, dull layers around his too-pale face. Sam wasn’t Kurt; he didn’t have porcelain skin. Instead of glowing from within, the normally sun-kissed man looked sick. 

Santana catalogued the multitude of paint stains that marked his body and the way his clothes hung on his too-skinny frame. The latter worried Santana the most. It was like he was wasting away before her very eyes. Sam shivered from the cold that leached in through the apartment’s old windows. 

Hitting him would be like kicking a puppy – cruel beyond measure.

That and based on what she’d seen two weeks ago, Blaine slapped Sam hard enough for both of them. As far as she was concerned, it was entirely deserved seeing as Sam broke off a years-long relationship with a half-assed explanation in the middle of an early holiday party. 

Who even does that?!

Aside from slapping Sam silly, Blaine kept his emotions in check until he escaped into the apartment’s spare bedroom. That’s where Santana and Tina found the dark-haired boy sobbing uncontrollably. Rachel thankfully had the foresight to turn up the music and distract everyone while the others did damage control in the moment. 

Tina snuck into Blaine and Sam’s room and pulled out all of Blaine’s clothes. He insisted on letting Sam keep their space since the lighting was better for his painting. He also argued that he’d already taken over the guest room since it was where he recorded when he wasn’t working in an official studio. 

Mike discretely pulled Sam into the apartment across the hall and got some ice to put on his bright red cheek. Brittany followed it up with a totally unnecessary but lovingly applied band-aid and a kiss on his undeserving (as far as Santana was concerned) forehead. She held Sam’s hand as he broke down. 

That’s what Mike reported after the fact at least.

Meanwhile Santana had her own hands full. She’d gotten the Blaine up and forced him into the spare bedroom's twin bed. There she held him in her arms and patted him on the back while he tried and failed to control his tears. She and Tina kept exchanging panic-stricken looks as the other girl made a multitude of trips between the two rooms. 

Santana was about to freak out when Kurt snuck into the room. Instead of punching the wall and screaming in frustration (which she’d wanted to do for hours at this point), she breathed a sigh of relief while extracting herself from Blaine’s grasp. The boy was tiny, but damn did he have a strong grip… 

Before he could complain, Kurt took Santana’s spot. His ex whispered words of comfort into Blaine’s ears until he finally fell into a fitful sleep. 

By then Sam had passed out across the hall in Brittany’s arms, and the party officially ended with most guests none the wiser about what went down. That left the remaining members of the New York New Directions to clean up the detritus and the figurative mess of the Blam breakup. 

Two weeks later, and everyone was still watching from the sidelines as Blaine and Sam tried to carry on with their lives. They both looked seriously in need of a hug but refused to talk about the situation. And, of course, everyone had a different idea about how to fix it.

Rachel and Kurt took a hands-off approach and insisted the pair would work things out on their own like mature adults. Tina, Mike, Artie and Kitty started plotting ways to force a reunion from the get-go. Quinn and Puck were sad but refused to take sides because they were busy planning their wedding and were done with the “childish meddling in each other’s lives.” 

That’s how Quinn put it at least. Sure they were friends and comprised two-thirds of the Unholy Trinity, but it took a lot of restraint on Santana’s part not to smack her sometimes-rival. The only thing that convinced her to hold off was the knowledge that Quinn would hit back. And that twiggy blonde packed a surprising punch. 

Santana tended to agree with Rachel and Kurt. She knew Blaine and Sam were going to work things out. It was just a question of how long it would take them to get their shit together. 

In short: The answer was that it was taking them too long. When Brittany started crying about the breakup Santana decided to take matters into her own hands. So she’d gathered a team and organized a plan, which led to this very moment. 

Lost in memories about how they’d ended up here, Santana didn’t realize Sam was talking at first. 

“It’s not that easy. I love Blaine. Letting him go is killing me, but I’m doing it because I care. He’ll be better off if we’re not together. All I’m doing is holding him back” 

“That’s a pathetic excuse, and you know it.” Sam’s face turned an impressive shade of red. Now clearly incensed, the blonde stood up and began pacing the cramped room. It wasn’t like there was far for him to go, but it seemed to burn some of his energy.

“That’s the thing about you, Santana Lopez-Pierce. You never listen to reason.”

“Oddly enough, your boyfriend said the exact opposite when he came to me for advice the day of your prom. You know, one of many days when I helped both of you with your shit. But I’ll play your game: Fill me in, Sammy Boy. You say I don’t listen to reason so give me one good fucking reason for this breakup. Just one, and I’ll walk out the door and let you sit alone with your pathetic, fine ass.” 

Santana already had an idea about the root cause of Sam’s decision. The blonde had been oddly tense when he got back to New York after spending his summer in Lima. It wasn’t until Blaine caught him skipping meals again that he told anyone about the opportunity to take over for Beiste at McKinley.

No matter how supportive Blaine had been (and how obviously excited Sam was about the opportunity), it changed things. Blaine and Sam never really fought. Sure, they had arguments from time to time over petty things. But they were that annoyingly perfect couple that always made things seem too easy. 

That changed after the truth came out. What followed was a couple tense months as the pig-headed pair went back and forth. To the surprise of no one, Blaine insisted Sam take the job. Again unsurprisingly, Sam stubbornly refused. 

After a heated argument on Halloween (seriously, what was it with these two idiots and parties) they finally reached a decision. Sam was taking the job, and Blaine was going to follow him and work on music in Ohio. Easy, right?

Wrong. 

Because then it happened: Blaine’s recording contract came through the week before Thanksgiving. After months of networking and false starts, Elliott’s connections finally paid off. Blaine was ecstatic about the opportunity, but it started a new wave of arguments. 

The next week (before it got too bad again), Sam ended things. Now he was finally ready to explain why.

“Blaine is going to be famous. He’s so talented, and he has millions of fans on YouTube. He's set for a job. The only chance I have is to go back to Lima and take Beiste’s pity job. I’m just going to be a Lima Loser. Dead weight. All I’d be doing is pulling him down.”

“Watch it with the Lima Loser shit, Guppy Lips. You don’t know this yet, but Sue recruited me to coach the Cheerios so she’d have more time to, this is a direct quote mind you, ‘rule the school with an iron fist.’ I’m sick of fighting off a bunch of less-talented girls for bit roles in TV shows that never get a second season, and I refuse to shoot another Yeast-I-Stat commercial. Seriously, it’s killing my rep. So we’re homeward bound after Britts graduates, too. If you get your head out of your ass, the two of us were going to see if you wanted to get a place together.” 

Santana watched as Sam’s expression changed for a moment. She knew he was imagining them all living together. But just as quicky as a spark of hope danced across his eyes, darkness returned. 

“I’d love to get a place with you and Britt. But that’s still not the right fit for Blaine. He needs to be here, and he needs a guy who can keep up with his lifestyle. You know me, Tana. I’m a simple guy; I don’t need the spotlight.” 

“Ok, cut the shit, Sean Cody. Let me get this straight: You’re not equipped for that lifestyle? You? One of the country’s most in-demand male models? The industry will weep when you leave New York City. Porcelain told me Isabelle is threatening to chain you to her desk because no one else is as versatile as you. You’ve been on billboards. You’ve been on magazines. You’ve walked runways for fashion week. I think you can keep up with the Hobbit. Who, by the way, is known for making acoustic, bedroom pop. Sure, he’s a nervous thoroughbred who needs to be handled with the utmost care. But it’s not like he’s going to be some punk-rock, glam diva like Starchild or the next Broadway crazy like Rachel.”

Santana made note of how Sam’s face lit with fresh fury at the mention of Elliott. 

“Seriously, fuck Star Lord. Has he ridden in on a white unicorn yet and helped Blaine mend the pieces of his broken heart? I keep waiting for them to realize how perfect they’d be together and make it official.” 

Whoop, there it is. 

Santana (barely) resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Just kidding, she couldn’t help rolling her eyes. But at least she restrained herself from a demeaning slow clap. Everyone knew Sam was jealous of Elliott even if this was the first time he’d admit it. 

It just made no sense. Sure, Starchild was sexy (in a weird, steam punk sort of way). But he wasn’t Sam so Blaine hardly even noticed the way he looked. As far as the dark-haired boy was concerned, he was just another person to talk music with. 

That. But also… 

“That would be pretty awkward all things considered. Especially since Kurt is talking to Starchild already. By that I mean they’re playing hide the salami on a near daily basis based on the ungodly sounds I hear coming out of Kurt’s bedroom. They got close after Porcelain decided there could only be one Queen in England and broke things off with Adam. You’d know that if you spent any time with them. But you’re always making up excuses when we’re all together.” 

“Really?!”

“Yes, you idiot. Sam, I’ll cut you some slack. You’re not as helpless as I thought you were in high school. And you have a heart of gold, but you’re being a coward right now. And it’s hurting both you and Blaine. I get that you’re afraid about the future. We all are. But there are two things I know you want. The first is Blaine. The second is to take this job. I’m promising you that you could have both. That is, you can have both if you stop acting like an oversized toddler.”

There was a look of genuine hope in Sam’s green eyes as he stared at her. “What makes you think that?”

Santana threw her arms up in frustration. Was she really going to have to spell it all out for him? Apparently so.

“Because Blaine loves you just as much as you love him. And he’s equally wrecked without you in his life. For some reason that makes no sense to me in the moment, I love you both and want to see you happy. Why else would I waste my afternoon telling you this?”

“Ok, fine. You win, Santana. What do you want me to say? That I was wrong. That maybe I flew off the handle instead of being honest with the person I love? Well, you’re right. I got cold feet and freaked out. I messed things up. Bad. Big bad. And now I want to fix things, but I don’t know how.”

“Well today is your lucky day. You can start by saying thank you. If you two want to stay together, which I know you do, then you need to learn to compromise. But first you need to apologize and fix what you broke. Which I’m about to make possible.”

The boy looked confused.

“Most everyone else had faith that you two would work this out on your own time. I figure you probably could. But then Brittany got upset, and no one makes Brittany upset. So it was up to me to save the day. And here comes the next step in my grand plan.”

Sam was so consumed in the conversation that he jumped in surprise at the sound of the door opening. He made a noise of horrified protest as Tina pushed a blindfolded Blaine through the cracked entrance before it closed behind him again. 

Blaine ripped the blindfold off and started when he saw where he was. Refusing to look at Sam, he tried to make a quick escape. But the door wouldn’t budge more than a few inches. It was as if someone (or multiple someones) were holding it shut on the other side. That’s because there were.

Santana skirted around Blaine and executed the secret knock that let Tina, Mike and Kitty know it was safe to let her out. She glared at both Sam and Blaine. They had to get it figured out. They were endgame. Everyone thought that, especially Brittany. And Brittany had some crazy theories, but she was never wrong when it came to relationships. 

“You two work this shit out. Now. Figure it out or you’ll be spending a very long time together in this room.”

The door snapped closed behind her so Santana finished her speech talking to it. 

“There’s snacks under the bed, but they won’t sustain you for long. Don't waste too much time. You can thank us all later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. This story keeps expanding in new and unexpected ways, and I get so much joy out of knowing that you're following along. Please don't hesitate to leave a review to let me know what you're thinking so far. Also I urge you to follow along so that you can stay up to date as new chapters are coming less frequently now. 
> 
> What's coming next? Next chapter will be from Sam's point of view and will pick up instantly after Santana finished her speech. Then we'll get Blaine's perspective in the third chapter of the saga, but it will be set on New Year's Eve. I promise that by the end of the next chapter things will start to stabilize in their relationship. I just don't want to make this a one-and-done situation because it didn't feel super realistic to me.
> 
> Thanks again! Please enjoy and have a wonderful week!


	19. Making up (part 2 of the breakup and makeup saga).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Another week has gone by, and I'm back with today's update. As promised this one finds Blam working things out. And it is by and far my longest chapter to date. Is it too long? Let me know what you think in the comments below. I hope it reads alright and isn't too overwhelming in terms of length. There were a lot of things I wanted to deal with in this chapter, and none of them made sense to put in what comes next.
> 
> What comes next? Well check out my author's note below for a hint!

“Let me out of this room, Santana. I do not want to be in here.” 

Sam knew he deserved it, but there was no denying how much it hurt to hear the desperation in Blaine’s voice as he pounded on the door. 

“I know you all think you’re doing the right thing, but Sam has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want to be with me anymore. Please let us try and move on with our lives. Please...” 

The last word seemed oddly cut off. Anyone who didn’t know Blaine likely wouldn’t notice the quiver in his voice. Sam knew what it was though: The dark-haired boy was holding back a sob. 

Blaine jumped in surprise and let out a surprised squeak as Santana slapped the other side of the wall and shouted back. 

“We’ll do this all day if we need to, Hobbit. Fuck that. I’ll sleep outside your door if it comes to it. I’ll camp out for a week. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to end this. But I really don’t recommend you take that long because you don’t have enough food in there…”

“Don’t do this to me, Santana. I’m trying so hard to move on. This just hurts. It hurts too much.” 

Sam’s heart wrenched because Blaine sounded even closer to breaking down, and he didn’t know what to do. Clearly Santana heard the growing panic in Blaine’s voice, too. 

Her voice was noticeably softer when she replied. However, one thing was clear. Their determined friend refused to deviate from the plan.

“Is my plan horribly invasive and maybe a little selfish? Yup. But guess what: It’s the New Directions way. And like it or not, you signed up for this when you walked through those choir room doors. We’re a family; we take care of each other. We want the best for each other, and in this case we know what’s best for you guys. So, we’re doing this for us, but we’re also doing it for you. Because we looove you. Almost as much as you love Sam.”

Blaine slid down the wall and dropped his head between his knees. He was trying to be subtle, but Sam noticed the tears shimmering in his hazel eyes. After spending the last two weeks avoiding his best friend (even though their relationship crashed and burned, Sam refused to believe that they wouldn’t at least salvage their friendship from his dumpster fire of a fuck up), it hurt to see Blaine in this state. 

He’d always been short, but Blaine’s personality took up space. The former Warbler projected a steady confidence in every situation. Even when he was nervous, he shone with the brightest light. It’s why people were drawn to him. Blaine simply exuded goodness and poise. 

Now, he just looked broken. It reminded Sam of how Blaine got in high school when his relationship with Kurt imploded. But this was much, much worse. His eyes were ringed in dark circles, and his normally pristine nails were covered in flakes of leftover polish. 

Worst of all was the way it looked like the boy had shrank into himself. His vibrancy was dimmed to the barest of lights. And it was all Sam’s fault.

The blonde catalogued the glaring signs that the person he loved most in the world was hurting. Each one sent a fresh stab of guilt to his heart. Sam was also acutely aware of the distance between them. 

He wanted to bridge that gap and wrap Blaine in a hug. He wanted to promise to never let go again. He wanted so badly that the desire almost burned out the guilt. 

It had been his responsibility as Blaine’s best friend and boyfriend to protect him when he felt this vulnerable. At first Sam didn’t understand why he had such an overwhelming urge to take care of the boy in high school. All he knew was that he felt better in Blaine’s presence. Stronger. Protected. Special. And he wanted to make Blaine feel the same. 

So Sam was more tactile than most guys would be with a gay friend. They hugged. They had sleepovers. Hell, they even cuddled when sharing a bed. If they woke up with boners, they laughed it off instead of freaking out. What’s a little morning wood between best friends, after all? 

Sam took comfort in the way Blaine fit against his frame. He felt grounded when Blaine slotted his legs between his in bed. He loved resting his chin on top of the smaller boy’s head when they hugged. In that position Sam felt like he could protect Blaine from anything. 

Their tactile relationship took on a deeper meaning as Sam realized his feelings for Blaine were more than friendly. In church he’d learned about various types of love people experienced. There was philia: It was the sort of love shared between friends. It was what he was supposed to feel for Blaine.

Sam was confused though because that didn’t describe their relationship.

No. What he felt for Blaine was more like agape.

The priest explained agape as a sort of selfless, universal love. It was supposedly the way God felt about humanity. Humans weren’t necessarily able to experience that love, but they knew it existed. Sam disagreed with the priest’s lesson. Because he certainly wasn’t God, but he felt that way about his best friend. 

They loved completely, and their feelings were given without expectations. There was a purity to their relationship that was missing in all of his previous romances. And it certainly wasn’t there in his friendships. He didn’t know what to make of the realization at first.

Sam still remembered the exact moment he came to grips with his feelings. It was after Blaine serenaded him during Guilty Pleasures Week but not by much. They were walking to class, and Blaine tripped over his own feet (seriously no one who is as good of a dancer as Blaine should be that clumsy) and fell into Sam’s shoulder. 

After steadying his friend, Sam noticed that he felt warm where Blaine touched him. His whole body erupted into tingles when they hugged before walking into classrooms on opposite sides of the hallway. Sitting in class, Sam worked things out instead of paying attention to the lecture.

He realized that he loved Blaine. Really loved him. After giving his heart away too soon to a string of failed partners, Sam knew to protect himself. He wasn’t supposed to fall quite as hard and as fast ever again. But this feeling (just like his friendship with Blaine) snuck up on him and defied logic. Apparently it also ignored the fact that Blaine wanted to propose to Kurt. 

That was when Sam learned love was selfless. 

It meant letting go if the person you loved needed something or someone else more than they needed you. Love was being willing to sacrifice your own joy to see your beloved happy. And that’s what Sam was ready to do when Blaine came to him with his engagement plans.

He resolved to help shop for a ring as the supportive friend. Then he got drafted to provide a distraction during the actual engagement, and he agreed again. 

Why? 

Well, Sam decided that it was better to watch his best friend be happy from a distance than to ruin his plans with Kurt. He and Blaine could still be together in some way, even if it wasn’t the way he really wanted. 

They would still be able to hug then at least. 

His life changed for the better when Kurt pushed Blaine into the choir room and forced them to confront their feelings. That day opened to a new chapter in his life; one where he got to kiss his best friend. The last few years had been the happiest of his life. And he wanted them back. 

If that was possible, Sam vowed to never let Blaine go again.

How had he gotten so mixed up? All these years later, and his high school self was smarter. Apparently college didn’t teach you everything you needed to know…

College certainly hadn’t taught him how to proceed in this situation. And there was no well of knowledge from high school to fall back on. He and Blaine hadn’t fought once since that time in the choir room years ago. Even then it hadn’t been a fight so much as a passionate disagreement over pelvic thrusts. 

This was uncharted territory, and he needed to figure out a way to make it right.

Sam looked over at Blaine as he registered the other boy’s shallow breathing. Shit – he was having a panic attack. 

Blaine struggled with anxiety, but Sam hadn’t seen him this worked up in years. And Sam knew he needed to do something whether Blaine liked him or not.

“Blaine. Buddy, I need you to breathe.” 

Buddy was a safe term of endearment, right? Better than babe at least. Probably even better than dude, since they used that one all the time even though Blaine pretended it drove him crazy. 

“I’m coming to sit next to you because I’m worried you’re having a panic attack. I know you don’t want to be here, and I promise not to invade your space. But I don’t want you to be alone.” 

Sam hesitantly walked over and slid down the wall so that he was within a few feet of Blaine. Once situated, he bridged the gap between them with his hand. Maybe it wouldn’t work, but he willed Blaine to reach out and hold on. 

The blonde let out a sigh of relief when Blaine did just that. They sat in silence while Blaine got his breathing under control. Sam tried not to jump in surprise when his friend suddenly scooted closer and wrapped him in a strangle-tight hug. 

“I’m so mad at you right now,” Blaine cried as he shook against Sam’s frame. 

Trying to hold back tears of his own, Sam gently carded his hands through Blaine’s unruly curls. His paint-streaked fingers carefully worked out a series of knots that didn’t belong. 

“I’m pretty mad at me, too.” It took everything in Sam to keep his voice level. He felt as shattered as Blaine, but this was his fault. And he needed to keep calm to protect his friend. “I’m so sorry, Blaine. Really, you’ll never know how sorry I am.” 

About a half hour later, Sam’s legs were starting to cramp up from the awkward position they were in. But he refused to be the first to let go. He wasn’t making that mistake again. Taking a deep breath, Blaine carefully unwrapped himself from around Sam’s body. He looked up at the blonde and hesitantly smiled.

There was hope in his eyes. Enough hope that Sam felt comfortable speaking again.

“I really fucked things up, huh? God, B. I feel so terrible. Are you calmer now? If so there are some things I really need to say.” 

Blaine nodded slowly. Curls tumbled in front of his eyes, lending a child-like innocence to his expression. 

It felt like they were ready for a fresh beginning… The moment was put on pause when Blaine’s stomach audibly rumbled in hunger. 

“Wow. We definitely need to talk, Sammy. But first let’s see what kind of snacks Santana was talking about. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t really been able to eat lately.” 

Sam watched as the boy scooted across the floor and looked under the bed. Blaine let out a strangled laugh as he emerged holding Brittany’s now-iconic fondue set. The tray was prepared with a variety of breads and vegetables. Sam really hoped the pot was filled with cheese instead of molten chocolate. It wouldn’t be the first time Brittany got things a little mixed up in the kitchen. 

He shuddered remembering the last time he’d been on her mega-popular YouTube show. They’d been talking about LGBTQ+ issues, and Sam hadn’t been paying attention when he dunked a piece of broccoli into the pot. Their conversation derailed when he bit into the vegetable and found it covered in white chocolate. 

Speaking of Brittany (who was the only person who would have stashed such an outlandish snack), Sam nervously looked at the door. 

“Santana so help me God if there is a camera in here broadcasting our reunion to Brittany’s YouTube channel I will break the heel off every Louboutin in your closet.” 

Fondue For Two had a moment at McKinley when it first launched. However, it exploded in popularity once Britt started broadcasting from New York. She now had a following in the millions. And while Sam realized that there was no hiding his relationship woes from the rest of New Directions, he didn’t want to share them with those fans.

“What would be the point of that, Trouty? First of all, anyone who matters is already sitting out here following along in person. Well, anyone who could be here. Don’t worry, we’re keeping everyone else updated via text. Secondly, I would have considered getting this on camera if I had the idea before we locked you inside. Maybe we’ll film the makeup sex instead.” 

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. He and Blaine would make sure to search the room for camera if they did figure this out. They could worry about that later. At least this part was private. Thank god for small miracles.

Blaine seemed to agree as he hesitantly grinned. He picked up the lid on the pot and smiled wider. Sam was confused about why until Blaine dipped a piece of bread in, and it came out coated in cheese. 

“Brittany didn’t mix up the chocolate and cheese again. Thank god.” 

Sam couldn’t help but laugh. Even though he and Blaine were operating on totally different wavelengths right now, their thoughts were still in sync. 

And although they weren’t as comfortable together as they usually were, this was at least approaching normal. Sam’s mind wandered as they sat side by side and took turns dipping into the pot. It wasn’t until Sam checked his phone that he realized something else was wrong.

“Wait. It’s a Wednesday night, dude. You’re supposed to be at the salon. What’s going on here?”

Even though Blaine didn’t really need the money anymore, he still kept a couple shifts a month at the salon. He said he loved it too much to let go. Plus it gave him an in on some of the hottest gossip in the city, which provided their friend group plenty to laugh about. 

“Katie decreed that I’m not allowed inside until I can make it through a five-hour shift without breaking down in tears. She said the clients were starting to worry, and that I needed a break. We’ve been going to yoga now, but I think she’s somehow in on Santana’s plan because she cancelled on me last minute. Next thing I know, Tina and Kitty are blindfolding me and shoving me in here. Our friends are literally insane.”

There it was again – more evidence their breakup put Blaine in a dark place. Sam knew that now was the moment to start their conversation. Either they’d work things out and move forward as a couple, or they’d fail. This could be the end, but at least they’d be able to truly begin healing. 

Knowing that, Sam still held on to the fragment of hope Santana had given him earlier.

“I’m so sorry I did this to us, Blaine. For what it’s worth, I regretted it the second I did it, and even though I know it’s incredibly selfish of me I wish we could be together again.” 

As he spoke, Sam felt a tear trail down his cheek. He cursed internally as his body betrayed his earlier wishes, and an avalanche of water began pouring from his eyes.

“Oh Sammy.” Blaine shuffled closer and pulled Sam into a hug this time. When they parted, he looked up at the blonde and gently wiped his cheeks. 

“Look at us. We’re such messes. I’ve been so mad at you. Furious even. But I missed you, too. So much. I just need you to explain why you did this. I know things were tough for a while, but we were working through it. What changed?”

Sam took a steadying breath. He hadn’t given Blaine a full explanation that night. It had been an impulsive decision really. At the time, Sam convinced himself it was noble… 

“You got your recording contract, B. I know how hard you worked for that, and you’re going to do so well. Moving to Lima will only hold you back. You’re so talented, dude. You always have been, and I’m just… I’m just me.”

One look at Blaine made it clear that he disagreed with Sam’s assessment. Sam knew that he had something to say but felt a surge of appreciation as the shorter boy motioned for Sam to keep speaking. 

“You can disagree all you want, but to me you’re the special one. You’re going to be famous, and I’m going back to middle-of-nowhere Ohio to coach football. We’re on different playing fields. I promised myself when we started dating that I wouldn’t at any point let you settle for less than you deserve. You giving up this opportunity to come to Lima with me would be settling, and I couldn’t let that happen.”

There. It was out in the open now. All of Sam’s insecurities about their relationship. Well… 

“That, and I thought you’d be better off with Starchild. Of course, Santana told me I was being a jealous ass and also informed me that he and Kurt have a thing. So I know that was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

Blaine blinked in surprise. 

“Wait, you thought Elliott and I were a thing? Oh Sammy, ew. No way; we’re just friends. I wish you’d told me sooner because I could have made you feel better. And my contract… Babe, one of the contingencies is that I am able to record my music and live wherever I want. I never planned on staying here. I always wanted to go home with you.”

Sam didn’t understand. “But.. But this is your home.”

“Don’t you see? I don’t want New York City, Sammy. Sure, I really did think this was the place for me. It may have been for a while, but it’s not my forever home. Now I know that my forever home is wherever you are. I know you were trying to make the right choice for me, but you don’t get to make that decision. That’s on me.”

Blaine grabbed Sam’s hands and turned so that they were staring eye-to-eye before speaking again.

“What makes me the saddest about this whole situation is that you thought you weren’t good enough for me. You, Sam Evans, are the single best person I know. You have the kindest heart that has guided me through some of my darkest days and helped me find love in places I never expected. You are incredibly talented, and you have a special job offer waiting for you in Lima. It’s a job only you can do and only you deserve. I’m so incredibly proud of you, and I want you to know that.” 

“Are you sure, B? I won’t be able to live with myself if you give up anything you want for me.” 

“Do you remember what you told me the night of Brittany and Santana’s wedding? About how we could achieve anything we wanted as long as we were together. Well, here we are riding out a new challenge. Clearly we’ve both proved that we are better off together. If you’ll take me back, I want to be with you again.” 

Sam cocked his head in surprise. “Blaine… I’ll always take you back. You’re not the one who left in the first place. Thank you for letting me make things right. I love you, B. Forever.”

He went to pull Blaine into a kiss but stopped in surprise as Blaine caught him by the shoulder.

“I love you, too. There’s just one thing: Can we go a little slow? There are some things we still need to work out, and I think it would be better if we talked them over instead of just jumping back into the heat of things. Which means Santana is going to have to wait for our makeup sex… As long as that’s alright with you of course.”

Blaine looked fragile again as he made the request. It was like he thought this may be one thing too many, and Sam vowed to prove him wrong.

“I can do slow,” Sam promised. Instead of sweeping Blaine into the kiss he hoped for, he brushed his lips over his boyfriend’s forehead. “You’re worth it, dude. Besides, we have the rest of forever for the heat.” 

His boyfriend laughed joyfully as they stepped away from each other. It was only then that he seemed to notice the easel in the center of the room. 

“What are you working on? Is this your studio final? The one I haven’t been able to see yet because it was a surprise? Can I see it now?” 

Blaine walked around to the front of the canvas at Sam’s encouraging nod. He threw his hands in front of his mouth as he took in the photo. It was a portrait of the two of them from Halloween this year. Continuing in their trend of nerdy costumes, the pair had dressed up as Ice Man and Angel from the X-Men. 

The painting captured them in their costumes in the middle of a party. However, there was a fantasy element to it as Sam’s feathery wings provided them a measure of privacy as they shared a kiss. Anyone looking at it could feel the joy and love they had for each other.

“Oh my god. It’s so beautiful. What made you choose this moment?”

Sam wrapped his arms around Blaine from behind and kissed his neck before replying. 

“That was the night we decided to go back to Lima together. It was one of the happiest moments of my life because I saw the future we could share. Painting it after we broke up was impossible. Now it seems so much easier, which is good because it’s due tomorrow.’ 

“I love it. We’ll have to hang it up next to the one you painted for Santana and Brittany for their wedding when we move in together.” Blaine laughed at the look of confusion on Sam’s face. 

“No I’m not reading your mind, dude. Santana and Brittany asked me, too. They knew we were going to work this out way before we did. Now let’s go see if our oddly invasive and voyeuristic friends will let us out of our prison.”

They walked over to the door hand-in-hand and found the knob miraculously unstuck. When Sam pushed the door open they were met with a chorus of cheers from their assembled friends. 

“Told you so,” Santana shouted in joy as she turned and pointed at a bemused looking Rachel and Kurt. “They just needed a little help from Auntie Snixx to get their shit sorted out. You guys can thank me later. Possibly with your first born. In the meantime, why don’t you give us a kiss?”

Sam turned his eyes on Blaine to see how he felt about that. His boyfriend wanted to take things slowly, and he’d honor that wish no matter what their demanding friends wanted. This was Blaine’s choice.

So Sam let out a whoop of delight himself when Blaine grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him in as their friends watched. 

Yeah, they were all weird and probably needed serious help, but he owed them big. He resolved to figure out a way to repay them later. For now, he pulled Blaine even closer and deepened the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading, commenting and leaving me kudos or following along. This story is rapidly approaching 1000 hits, and I am so proud of what I'm accomplishing. You all following along is giving me life. You may never know how grateful I am, but I hope you know it's... a lot.
> 
> Next week's chapter is going to take place two weeks later on New Year's Eve. This one will be from Blaine's point of view. It feels like a long time since I've written his POV, but there are some things he has in mind. And if you ask me it's time he puts them out there.
> 
> In the meantime please don't hesitate to let me know what you think and to leave any requests for future prompts as well! I have some ideas through 2020 (this current chapter is 2016), but after that I'm open to any requests.


	20. A new year and new beginning (part 3 of the breakup and makeup saga).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... I'm a week late, but I'm finally back! Today's upload is the final part of my breakup and makeup saga. This one is from Blaine's point of view. 
> 
> Why did it take so long? For a couple reasons. First and foremost, I couldn't figure out exactly how I wanted to get to the end of it. I had ideas, but nothing seemed perfectly right. One thing that I feel is missing is a moment with Kurt. But I'm sure there will be another opportunity for some Klaine bonding. Instead, I kind of like how I'm setting things up for the crew as Blam and Brittana's Lima move comes closer. 
> 
> The other reason this is late is that I somehow convinced my mom and sister to watch Glee with me. And they are OBSESSED. So we've been spending a lot of time in front of the tv together. I'm hoping to be ready for my next update next week, and then it should be back to business as usual.

“Happy New Year’s Eve, Blaine Warbler.” 

Blaine braced for impact as Brittany raced over the threshold of the apartment and rocketed into his arms. Her body crashed into his at a bone-rattling speed. Thankfully they didn’t wind up on in a pile on the ground. This time at least…

One thing you had to remember about Brittany: The dancer tended to forget her strength when she got excited. Which was most of the time.

He’d been reminded of that fact the hard way far too often. Just last week she bowled him over while running to check if the Cat Tooth Fairy left a treat under Lord Tubbington’s bed. He and Sam had been searching for potential apartments in Lima with Santana, but their plans were derailed by the chaos that ensued.

Brittany remained a ball of restless energy as Santana patiently explained that the Cat Tooth Fairy didn’t visit unless she was informed of a cat’s missing tooth in writing. The dark-haired girl sat by while her wife drafted a letter and dropped it in the mailbox outside their building. Then Sam and Blaine distracted Brittany by taking her to get Lord Tubbington ice cream to ease the pain of his sore gums while Santana snuck a gold coin under the bed. 

Santana really deserved a medal of honor. She spoke nothing but the truth, no matter what (as evidenced by her antics just two weeks ago alone). However, she did everything in her power to preserve Brittany’s innocence. 

And she was never far from her wife at these events. As Brittany disengaged from Blaine, Santana strolled through the door at a much more leisurely pace. The former Cheerio threw her luscious waves of ebony hair over her shoulder and laughed at something Rachel said as they walked arm-in-arm. 

They swept by Blaine with barely a wave and strutted over to the bar. He didn’t blame them, either; these New Directions parties were usually easier after a drink or two. Kurt trailed closely behind, and Blaine did a doubletake when he saw who was holding the fashionable man’s hand.

“Surprise,” Mercedes let out a full-bodied laugh at the look of shock on Blaine’s face. “Get your fine butt over here and say hello, famous boy. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” 

Blaine didn’t protest. He had learned from Kurt and Sam that Mercedes got whatever Mercedes wanted.

“Mercedes! What are you doing here?” 

The former New Directioner was on the fast track to global fame at the moment. After a handful of false starts, she signed a recording deal and instantly rocketed to the top of the charts with her debut single. An album was due in the new year, and Blaine had already heard some of the tracks. They were good, and he had ideas about how to make them even better if his friend wanted any advice.

Mercedes took off her fur-lined jacket and looked around the apartment as they walked further into the space. No one else seemed to have noticed her yet, but Blaine knew that it wouldn’t take long for a pileup to amass. 

“I cannot believe Kurt talked me into wearing this thing,” she joked while rolling her eyes at Blaine. She giggled and held up a hand to cut off Kurt’s response. “Yes, boo thang. I know fashion is pain sometimes, but there’s no way I needed a coat to walk across the hall from your place to here. Is there somewhere I can put this, Blaine? Come show me, and I promise to answer your questions before I get overtaken by everyone else.” 

Kurt imperiously waved them off and smiled at Elliott as he walked through the door. They were clearly dismissed so Blaine grabbed Mercedes by the hand and pulled her toward his bedroom.

“Tell me everything. I can’t believe that we haven’t seen each other since Brittany and Santana’s wedding. You’re killing it in LA, but it’s still weird that you’re so far away. What brings you to New York, and how long are you staying?” 

“Right now, I’m here for a couple months. Unique and I are trading places. She got an internship out in Los Angeles next semester and is subletting my apartment. I’m borrowing hers here while I work on a couple tracks. My team thought it would be good to get some New York City vibes on the album. Me though… I was hoping to recruit rising star producer Blaine Anderson for a song or two. Your deal is all I hear about out in LA, and no one believes we’re friends.” 

Blaine stopped in his tracks as her words washed over him. A chance to be featured on Mercedes's album was a dream come true. He knew that he’d been doing well enough on YouTube to attract label interest, but Blaine was still just starting out. This could be major. 

“Are you serious,” he enthused. “I actually wanted to talk to you about the production on ‘Woman Like Me.’ Kurt played it for me a couple weeks ago, and it’s great. But I had ideas about how to punch it up. Let’s book some studio time. And maybe we can get Sam to join in. He doesn’t perform much anymore, but I’m trying to get him to lay down the guitar on a couple of my tracks. I bet the two of us could convince him to help on this, too.”

Mercedes grinned and smoothed down her berry-colored, velvet dress as they hung up her coat. “I’m so glad you mentioned ‘Woman.’ It’s one of the songs I really want on the final tracklist, but it’s not there yet. My producer out west can’t figure out why. I was thinking about getting Rachel, Santana and Tina to lay down backing vocals, but I’d love to hear what you have in mind, too. We have such an annoyingly talented group of friends, and I want everyone to be involved with my debut.”

The duo made tentative plans to hit the studio together during Blaine’s winter break. They also toyed with recording a duet for Blaine’s upcoming EP. His team wanted him to release a covers project, and Blaine was trying to convince them that it should be a collaborative project with friends. 

“This is going to be ah-mazing. I cannot believe that the two of us never have done a duet before. We’re going to have to fix that major oversight before I leave New York. Or before you leave… But enough about that. I want to hear about you and that tasty piece of man you’re with. How have things been since Santana all but literally forced you two to kiss and make up?”

That was a fair question. How were things with Sam? In all honesty, Blaine still wasn’t sure. They were back together, which was what really mattered. But things were still a little strange between the two of them. And the way Blaine saw it, he had no one to blame but himself. 

Why did he have to ask Sam to take things slowly? Now his boyfriend treated him like glass, and it only made Blaine feel like he was about to break. He should be happy. Everything worked out, but instead it just felt like they weren’t back to normal yet. 

Reading the expression on his face, Mercedes kindly pushed Blaine down onto the unmade bed he shared with Sam. “Ok, White Boy. Sit down and talk to me.”

“I don’t know what to say, honestly. Sam and I are back together, but it’s still weird. We love each other. It's just that nothing feels effortless the way it did before. It’s like we’re trying so hard to not hurt each other instead of concentrating on moving forward. Obviously, we both want it to work, but it shouldn’t feel like such a chore. You know?”

Mercedes nodded in understanding as she listened. 

“Santana was right,” she sighed. Blaine looked at her in confusion. “You boys really are that dumb.” 

“Hey…” 

The big-voiced diva held up a hand to cut off his complaint.

“No. Take a second and listen to what I have to say, Blaine. You can be pissed, but it needs to be said. Of course, things are going to be stunted between you and Sam right now. There’s a lot going on in your relationship. And it’s mostly positive. You’re both graduating. You both have new jobs. You’re back together again. But that doesn’t mean life can’t be scary. Do me a favor and stop worrying. I know Sam, and, frankly, if I thought there was even a smidge of a chance that I could steal that man out from under you I would be tempted. But he loves you. And that’s really all that matters. Got it?”

Blaine couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of Mercedes’s statement. 

“Girl, if anyone could steal Sam back, it would be you. But I will not be letting that happen. Thank you, though, because I needed that truth tea. As much as I’d love to stay in here and catch up with you, I think I need to get you back out to the party before our friends accuse me of monopolizing your time.”

The duo walked back out to the living room where the party was officially in motion. Unsurprisingly, Kurt and Rachel had already set up shop in front of the karaoke machine and were belting out a duet while sipping on cocktails. 

Like a good host, Blaine got Mercedes a drink and then watched as she was swarmed by the rest of the New Directions alumni. Tina threw herself into Mercedes arms and instantly broke into tears. 

“Oh look, Tina’s crying already,” Blaine jumped in surprise as Rachel snuck up behind him. He looked up to see Elliott had taken her spot at the karaoke machine. “They’re so cute together. And I know that Elliott took my place up there, but sometimes I need to abdicate my position of power to let our other friends shine.”

“Ah yes, Rachel. Your modesty and generosity remain unparalleled,” Blaine teased. 

They turned their attention back to where Mercedes was trying to comfort Tina with the help of an aggrieved-looking Mike. 

“I swear, Tina is made for Broadway. Look at those tears. Even I can’t cry on command like that. And the worst part is that she isn’t even faking.” Rachel smacked Blaine. “Do not think about telling a soul I said that. I’ll deny it to the grave. Seriously though, Tina usually waits until at least two or three hours into one of these parties to start the theatrics. We’re way ahead of schedule. If things keep going at this pace I may actually win a round of the New Directions House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza Bingo.” 

“That’s impossible, Rachel. I’m convinced Santana rigs that game because the only people who ever win are her and Brittany. Sam and I never even come close.” 

Rachel snorted inelegantly. “That’s because you two are usually too busy on top of each other to even pay attention to your cards. I know for a fact that you won at the Halloween party this year, but you were in your bedroom doing Barbra only knows what when Santana announced the winner. In your absence she crowned Brittany again.” 

“Well that’s typical. I’ll have to pay better attention this time. I want to win brunch for two on the group at least once before we move back to Lima.” 

Although they still hadn't found a place yet, Blaine, Sam, Santana and Brittany were heading back to Ohio as soon as everyone graduated. Sam had to get settled in before the summer training sessions began, and Blaine was going to have to figure out some sort of studio situation. Santana was gearing up to take over Cheerios practices, too. Basically, they didn’t have any time to waste.

“Well that should be easier tonight since Sam isn’t attached to your hip. It looks like he’s over in the corner catching up with Jesse. How lucky are we that our men get along so well.” 

Blaine turned toward where Rachel was pointing and did his best to keep a straight face as he saw his boyfriend stuck in a corner with Jesse. He and Sam hadn’t met Rachel’s new boyfriend when they dated the first time around. However, they had gotten very well-acquainted since Rachel and he rekindled their relationship earlier this year. 

And they privately agreed that Jesse was the perfect match for Rachel. Why? Simply put, because two bigger divas did not exist on the planet. Looking over at Sam now, it looked like he was trapped as Jesse acted out something from his current role on Broadway. He did his best to ignore his boyfriend’s silent but nonetheless desperate cries for rescuing. 

No questions asked, Jesse was a piece of work. However, he made Rachel genuinely happy for the first time in years. And she deserved that. Rachel was a lot of things. She justifiably got a lot of shit from their friend group. But she was a true friend.

“I’m happy for you, Rachel. Life has thrown so many curveballs your way, but you’re doing incredible. You deserve everything you’ve found with Jesse, and I wish you nothing but the best.”

Rachel looked down at the champagne glass in her hands for a moment. When she looked back up her chocolate-brown eyes were glistening with tears.

“Thank you, Blaine. That means the world to me. I was worried about how our friendship would survive when you and Kurt first broke up, but you’ve always been here for me. And I want to do the same for you. So can I give you some advice? I learned this the hard way, and I don’t want to see it happen to you, too.” 

Blaine found his gaze wandering to Sam again as Rachel spoke. The blonde appeared to have resigned himself to his current situation, but he smiled and waved as their eyes met across the room.

“I see the way you look at Sam. You two could be in the middle of a crowded room, but you instantly seek his eyes out. That’s love. You share something most people spend their whole lives looking for. It’s what I had with Finn, and it is precious. Please don’t take advantage of it because I had to face the reality that perfection like that isn’t permanent. I want you to treasure every moment you have with Sam because the next moment isn’t guaranteed. Things have been difficult for you lately. You two have been through hell. Promise me you won’t forget how special your love is no matter what.” 

Now it was Blaine’s turn to blink back tears. He took a moment to gather his emotions before speaking again. 

“Rachel, thank you for that. You told me exactly what I needed to hear. I’m sorry about Finn. I’ll never stop missing him, and I know you won’t, either. You lost your first true love, but you have found love again. You’re a warrior, my friend. And I’ll always be by your side if you need anything. So will Sam.” 

At that moment Kurt and Adam finished up another song, and their friends all broke out into applause. Rachel locked eyes with Kurt and motioned for him to hop off the stage. 

“You have a good heart, Blaine. Don’t forget what I just told you. If you’ll excuse me though, this little mama has to go reclaim her spot.” 

With that Rachel ran off to reclaim the microphone. Blaine understood that she had to end the conversation before it got harder for her. He also wasn’t surprised when she announced her next song.

“This one is for all the lovers out there,” Rachel declared before breaking into a teary-eyed performance of “Who Are You Now.”

“That bitch can be hella annoying, but sweet fuck can she sing.” Blaine jumped in surprise again as Brittany and Santana snuck up behind him. 

“Holy fuck! You’re all sneaking up on me tonight. But I’m glad to see you, Santana. I hear I won New Directions House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza Bingo on Halloween, but you gave the prize to Brittany.”

Santana rolled her eyes. “It’s the rules of the game, Bilbo. You want to win the prize, you better be there to claim it. You were in your bedroom playing hide the salami with your boyfriend, which means you forfeited. At that point, Auntie Snixx does what she wants.”

Brittany nodded emphatically.

“Yeah. No one likes a sore loser, Blaine Warbler.”

“Brittany, I’ve wanted to ask for years now: You do know Warbler isn’t my real last name, right? It’s actually Anderson. Blaine Anderson.”

Blaine couldn’t help laughing at his inadvertent 007 reference. Santana mouthed the word “nerd” and smirked. However, the reference clearly went over Brittany’s head. She just looked perplexed.

“Well, that’s silly, Blaine Warbler. Your last name is Warbler because you sing as beautifully as any bird. Even Lord Tubbington agrees, and he is the meanest critic I’ve ever met. Seriously, he made Marley cry once. But we all know your real last name is Warbler-Evans because you and Sam are going to get married one day, and your love is for forever.”

Brittany made no sense sometimes. But when she was right, god damn was she right…

“I think you may be on to something there, Britt. Thank you for always making me think in new ways. You really are a genius.”

“I know. And I’m so happy you and Sam are together again. It was what I asked Santa for this year. I already know what I want to ask for next year: a baby. How fun would it be to raise a baby together in Lima?” 

Blaine’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked over to see that Santana’s eyes were also wide, but her expression looked more calculating than anything else. 

“It would certainly be an experience. Let’s get to Lima before you reach out to the stork though, Ok?”

It was at that moment that Jesse jumped onstage with Rachel. The pair broke into a particularly loud rendition of “Listen To Your Heart,” and Santana grimaced at the ear-shattering volume.

“I’m so glad we’re getting out of here. If I had to share an apartment with them for much longer, we’d never be friends again.” 

Blaine had to admit that she had a point. Jesse had basically moved in Rachel’s room, and he suspected that Mercedes would be moving in at some point, too. She wasn’t ever going to willingly go back to Los Angeles after spending a couple months with the New York City crew.

“Honestly, fair point,” he whispered. “But Jesse is better than Brody. We all know it…”

“Anyone is better than that plastic Ken Doll. I’m not convinced he even had the body parts to keep Rachel satisfied in the bedroom. Doesn’t mean that the living situation in our apartment is any more bearable.” 

Santana looked closer at Blaine and noticed his teary eyes. 

“Are you crying, Hobbit? What’s going on? I see that look on your face, and I know you’re scheming something. Can’t you and your Trouty Lipped lover let us have one party that isn’t taken over by Blam drama?”

Blaine snatched the glass of champagne out of Santana’s hands and took a sip as she growled in protest.

“Fuck it. Here goes nothing.” Blaine tossed back the champagne and handed the empty glass back to Santana. His hands were shaking with nerves, so he hid them in the pockets of his fitted jeans. 

“Wait! Hobbit, what are you doing?! Are you sure this is the right time for whatever you have in mind? You’re going in the wrong direction…”

Santana tossed her ebony hair and threw her arms up in confusion as Blaine abruptly turned and threaded his way through the crowd. He heard Santana speaking, but the words didn’t register. 

He dodged people in the crowd as he ran back to the bedroom he shared with Sam. Blaine remembered how good it felt to crawl into bed with his boyfriend again after spending two weeks apart. It was the first time he slept through the night without nightmares since the breakup. 

Every night since then, they curled around each other and fell asleep like that. It felt like he was coming home. But then, Sam had always felt like home. Even before Blaine understood his feelings for the blonde, he knew that Sam was a safe harbor where he could always escape.

Rachel’s words echoed in his head as he rifled through the top drawer of his dresser. He heard Mercedes from earlier as he pulled out the ring box that was hidden amongst his underwear. He remembered Santana’s actions two weeks ago as he looked in the mirror.

This would be the last time he saw his reflection before taking the next major step in his life. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and walked back out to the party. 

Santana and Brittany were desperately waving him over, but Blaine ignored their persistent attempts. Instead, he walked across the room directly into Sam’s arms. His boyfriend may have been surprised by the sudden hug, but he wrapped himself around Blaine’s smaller frame without hesitation.

There had always been something about Sam’s embrace. Even when they were friends, before Blaine developed his crush, he felt comfortable in the taller boy’s arms. The ease they shared was unlike anything he’d experienced. 

Blaine fought back tears as he looked up into Sam’s emerald eyes. Of course, Sam noticed that something was off.

“What’s wrong, babe?” 

“Nothing’s wrong. I just love you so much,” Blaine announced. “There’s something I want to say to you, Sammy.” 

“I know we wanted to wait until after graduation to do this. I know that this doesn’t seem like the right time because it’s coming after we fought, and that we aren’t even technically through it all yet. But Sam, I love you. I don’t want to take this slow anymore. I’ve known for years that you are my person. Everyone in this room knows. Everyone who knows us already understands. But I want to take it one step further. I want to show every single person on the planet that you’re it for me.”

Sam subtly wiped his eyes as Blaine sank to his knees and pulled the velveteen ring box out of his pocket. He opened it and revealed a simple platinum band. A single diamond softly glimmered in the neon city lights that reflected through the windows. 

“Wait. What?!”

“Marry me? Let’s go back to Lima and start our life together,” Blaine’s voice quivered in excitement as he finally asked the question. He was surprised by the feeling of certainty that instantly settled over his body. When he did this with Kurt, he hadn't really been sure. He convinced himself he was making the right choice even though a part of himself doubted it. Now there were no questioned to be asked. This was it.

“Marry me? Say yes, and I swear that we will spend the rest of our lives together. It won’t all be easy, but even the worst day will be worth it if I'm by your side. If you want to wait a little longer I totally understand. I’ll save this ring for as long as you need, Sammy. But I’ve never been more sure that I wanted to grow old with you.” 

Blaine was aware that they were surrounded by their friends, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Sam’s if he tried. He distantly recognized that the others were counting down the seconds to the start of a new year.

“Five…”

A radiant smile split Sam’s face.

“Four…”

He pulled Blaine up from his knees and brushed his lips over Blaine’s.

“Three…”

Sam stepped back and looked at the ring box. His hands shook slightly as he pulled the ring out.

“Two…”

There was a look of pure joy on his face as he slid the ring on.

“One…”

Sam grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and crushed their bodies together again. Blaine only had a moment to catch himself against his boyfriend’s solid frame before their lips met in a frenzied kiss. 

“Happy New Year!”

Their friends shouted out a celebration for the new year, and Blaine could just make out the flashing lights of fireworks going off as the city celebrated the start of a new year. 

“Yes. Blaine Anderson, yes. I’d marry you tomorrow if I could. I know that our crazy friends won’t let that happen, but I can confidently say that there is nothing I want more in this life than to be yours forever more. So, yes.” 

That’s when everyone around them finally seemed to notice that something was going on. 

“OH MY GOD,” Rachel’s screech effectively brought an end to their moment. “You’re engaged?! Bingo! Bingo! I finally won New Directions House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza Bingo.”

“Holy fuck, Hobbit. Who would have thought you had it in you?” 

Blaine couldn’t hide the grin on his face as he flipped Santana off without turning away from Sam. Instead of deigning her with a deeper response, he pulled his fiancé closer and kissed him again as everyone around the world celebrated the start of a new year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much (again) for reading along. I genuinely cannot believe how well this story has performed on here. It makes me feel confident about my writing and like I really can continue growing as a creative. I'm not sure if I'd feel that way without all of you who have come along for the journey. 
> 
> What's next? We're going to jump forward in time a little bit. How far? Well the goal is that our next chapter is going to take place at Sam's first football game of the season. How will things go for two LGBTQ+ couples in small-town Ohio in 2017? You'll have to check back next week to find out. 
> 
> In the meantime please don't hesitate to leave me a review and let me know what you think. You can also definitely provide any feedback about what you'd like to see moving forward. 
> 
> Here's one parting question for you: Should I write a chapter for the wedding? Do we want to see a Blam wedding or should I skip past that and just write like it's already happened? I'm going back and forth on if it's necessary or if we've seen that happen enough. Frankly, I'm fine either way. So i want to know what you all think. Thanks for making the tough choices for me :P

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp... It's finally happened. I watched 'Glee' for the first time back in July. Since then I've read just about every BLAM story that I can find on AO3. Now it's my turn to put something together. I haven't ever written fiction before, but this seemed like the perfect couple to dip my toes in the water with. 
> 
> I have a general plan for this story but would love to hear any ideas you may have as well. So please leave a review and tell me what you think and what you'd like to see in the future.
> 
> Next up, I am planning on writing about New Directions finding out about the couple.


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